Symphony of Darkness
by Miss Cherry
Summary: It has been a year since Link defeated Ganondorf and now he's trying to adjust to being a ranch hand again. However, one faithful encounter with a girl in a bar changes everything. Two dark forces are looming over Hyrule and this time, Link will need help
1. Prologue

**Symphony of Darkness**

**Prologue**

"Thank you again for the goats, kind sir," the merchant said as he waved farewell.

"No problem!" the young blonde man waved back as he headed in the opposite direction. He pulled down on his green cap and adjusted the leather belt of his tunic. His deep blue eyes glistened with life as a small smile crossed his lips. "I better stop by Telma's and say 'hi'. It's been awhile…."

The sky began to color itself a fiery orange with flecks of pink as the sun began its fall. The blonde headed down the small alley and descended the small flight of stairs and made his way to the entrance of Telma's Bar.

"Well I'll be! If it isn't Link!" Telma leaned over the counter and smiled. "Get over here kid!"

Link grinned and walked over. "Hi Telma."

The woman walked around the counter and embraced the youth. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

"It hasn't been _that_ long."

"It's been a year, sweetheart!"

He blinked. "Well…I guess it has."

Telma went back around the counter. "Have a seat! Relax and let's chat." Link nodded and pulled up a stool to the counter. "So, when's your eighteenth birthday?"

"It just passed actually."

"What? Damn, you should've stopped by!"

"Everyone in Ordon kept me busy that day. They threw me a surprise party. It was a lot of fun…" He glanced around at the crowded bar. "Busy today?"

"Yeah. Everyone's had a busy work day."

"Me too. Actually, I came to the market today to sell some Ordon Goats."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. I've been trying to get back into the swing of being a farm hand after everything…" His gazed traveled down to the hard wood of the counter. "…After everything…" The face of a dear old friend came to his mind. "…Midna…"

"Link?" He looked up at her, startled. "You-"

"Hey Telma! Can we get some more meat over here?" shouted a man sitting at a table with three beautiful women.

"Yeah, I'll be right there." She turned her attention back to Link. "You just relax, you hear me?" She disappeared into the back room.

"Sure thing." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The door to the bar suddenly slammed opened, disturbing Link's peace.

"Of all the rotten luck!! Dammit!!"

He turned his head and his eyes landed at a young woman standing at the door. Her face was absolutely red with fury. She flew past him in her rage and plopped down in the stool next to him. He quickly looked away, not wanting to catch her attention and ending up on the receiving end of her rage.

The blue haired girl took off a wooden box that hung from her back and dropped it to the ground. She folded her arms on the counter and laid her head on them. "Telma!!" There was no response, which caused the girl to put her head back up and glare. "TELLLLMAAA!!" she yelled as she slapped her hand on the table. "SERRRVICCCCEEE!!"

Even though Link had traveled from Ordon to the Castle Market many times, and even though he spent quite some time in Castle Market, "city people" still baffled him. He was so much different from them, as he was from the country, and he couldn't help but snicker at this riotous girl's behavior.

The girl, hearing Link's quiet laughter, turned to him. Her crimson eyes screamed anger. "What's so funny Blondie?!"

He blinked. "Uh, nothing at all…"

She checked him up and down. "Figures. That get-up you have on practically screams 'Hick from Ordon'."

"H-Hey, just wait a-"

"TELMA!!" she shouted once more.

City folk also got on Link's nerves. They were always running about, never having time to stop and relax until the day was practically over and they were incredibly rude. They were immensely different from him.

"By the gods, I'm coming!" Telma rushed out of the backroom, but suddenly stopped. "Oh! It's you hun! Just let me get this guy his meat and I'll be right with you." She walked over to the man with the three women on his arms and then hurried back behind the counter. "You don't look happy."

"I'm not! That bastard of a doctor in this market is stealing all of my customers!"

"Now, now-"

"I shouldn't have to sneeze on the produce carts everyday when no one's looking just to make people sick so they can come to me for treatment!!" the blue haired girl shouted.

Link's jaw dropped, as he remembered the apple he had bought earlier in the day. He had devoured the apple in a minute. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach.

Telma sighed. "I thought I told you to stop doing that."

"I'm on the verge of being poor Telma! Money makes the world go round! It's always about money!"

Link didn't like this girl's personality. She seemed too materialistic and she seemed like the type that had a bad temper. "Women…" he mumbled.

"How 'bout a drink, hun? It's on the house," Telma suggested.

"Then get me some ale, beer, whiskey, wine, some of that imported sake stuff, and a hops and mix it all in a huge mug! I'm drinking my troubles away tonight!"

Link was shocked. He never met a woman that drank before, and even more shocking was the fact that this _girl_ was not old enough to drink. The legal drinking age in Hyrule was eighteen and she still looked like a teenager!

"Sorry, no can do hun, you know the law," Telma answered.

"But Telma, you know I'm hooked on that stuff."

"No, I don't. Since when have you liked alcohol?"

"Two years ago. A friend of mine let me drink some of his ale and I've been a lover of alcohol since then."

"Hun, that stuff'll kill you in the end."

"I don't care! I'm too depressed to care about anything." She rubbed her temples. "Please Telma? After everything we've been through together, you'll deny me my one joy? Would you rather have me be miserable?"

It was Telma's turn to rub her temples. "Alright, fine! I'll give you some beer, BUT I'm mixing it with plenty of water!"

"Whatever. I don't hold my alcohol very well, so I'll still get wasted anyways…" she whispered.

Telma looked at Link. "Can I get you anything Link?"

"Uh, some milk would be nice."

"Alright." She turned her back and began making the drinks.

"What a wuss!" the girl laughed. Link looked at her. "Milk? Does baby want it in a bottle too?" He glared at her.

"Oh stop hassling Link!" Telma hissed when she put the mugs down in front of the two patrons.

"Link?" the girl asked. She grabbed the mug and downed the whole thing in one fell gulp. "What kind of name is that?" She burped.

"You're not very lady-like, are you?" Link asked angrily.

"I'm more man than you'll ever be," she spat back.

"Stop it _Symphony_!" Telma scolded.

"Symphony?" Link whispered.

"Great, now this weirdo knows my name." Symphony looked down at her mug. "Another round of 'beer-water' please." Telma rolled her eyes and took the mug to refill it.

"And for your information, _Symphony_, I don't drink," Link hissed.

"I don't care, nor will I ever, _Blondie_."

"Don't call me that!"

"Honestly Symphony!" Telma set the mug down. "Anyways, Link, this is Symphony. I'm sorry you couldn't have met her in more _pleasant_ terms."

"Oh, I can be very _pleasant_," Symphony mocked.

"Unfortunately, she happens to be my wayward adopted daughter."

"What?! No way!" Link shouted. "How come I've never seen her before?"

"Because she's always gone. One day she'll be here and the next day she'll be gone. And then weeks later she'll send a letter saying that she's in another land! Besides, you and I met last year, and she was out on one of her adventures. She never knew anything about the evils plaguing out land."

"Yes I did. I heard it from merchants. And for your information, _mother_, the whole, 'leaving out of the blue' thing only happened once!"

"And we won't have another 'Kasuto Episode' ever again, right?"

"I guarantee nothing!" She took a big gulp of her drink.

Link rolled his eyes, but he could clearly see that these two had a powerful bond. "When did you adopt her?"

"Oh, I don't remember how old she was, but it was years ago. She was just a little thing back then. You see, I found her and…" She glanced at Symphony, who was suddenly quiet. Link looked at her as well. Symphony's demeanor completely changed. She was so sad looking, so hurt. Telma shook her head. "Well, the important thing is I found her and raised her as my own."

Symphony, feeling the effects of the watered down beer, squeezed the mug. "…Why are you telling him this?"

"Symphony, I-"

"He's a Hylian! He doesn't need to know! He doesn't care!!"

"Not here Symphony!" Telma quickly hissed.

Link looked at the two, confused. Within that moment something happened between them. Something that he did not understand or know about. Something that hurt them both.

**XXXX**

"Whoooo! Can I drink or can I drink?!" Symphony shouted. She examined her wrist, looking at an imaginary watch. "Would you look at the time? It's late 'o clock!" She rose from her stool.

"Uh…" Link began.

"I was hoping that this wouldn't happen," Telma sighed. "Symphony, you somehow managed to get drunk, so why don't you stay here tonight?"

"No, no, I don't want to intrude. I have my own life. _And_ my own place. Pretty good for a sixteen year old, right?" She slung her wooden box on her back and danced to the door. "Well, you all are such lovely people, but it is time for me to go!" With a well placed kick, the door flew open. "Oh would you look at that." Rain poured out in the dark alley. "Don't mind me Telma. I don't need an umbrella. I love the rain!" She ran out into the rain, leaving the door open.

Telma pinched the area between her eyebrows. "Link, can you do me a huge favor?"

"Sure, what is it?" Link responded, pushing around the empty mug between his hands.

"Can you walk Symphony home?"

"Um, I don't really think that-"

"Please Link? I'm really worried about that girl. She's as gentle as a kitten. She'd never hurt anyone."

"I…Okay." He stood up. "Thanks again Telma."

"No problem. And take care."

He nodded and was out the door. "Now where did she get to?"

"Ahahaha…"

"Hmm?" He saw someone turn a corner and leave through the south gate. "That must be her!" He followed her out, but stopped when he couldn't see her. "Hey! Symphony! Where'd you go?!"

"KYAAAHHH!!"

Link's heart skipped a beat. He ran down the stairs, but suddenly froze when he saw the situation. Symphony was slung over the shoulder of a shadowy enemy. The foe turned to Link, glowing blood red eyes meeting his sapphire ones. His lungs suddenly seemed to stop working. Everything felt so heavy. He was chocking from lack of air! Just who was this dark foe?!

"Let me go right now!!" Symphony screamed.

Link was suddenly knocked out of his trance when the foe ran off with the young girl. He shook his head, then reached for his trusty whistle. He blew on it, and Epona appeared out of the shadows, racing towards him. He jumped on her back and was off. "That thing moves pretty fast! Just what _is_ that thing?!" He followed the sound of Symphony's cries through Hyrule's fields. "Where is it taking her?!" He soon got his answer. He had just crossed the border into the Faron Province.

"Somebody help!!"

The rain soon grew into a downpour.

Link pulled on Epona's reigns to pull her to a quick halt when he saw the foe take Symphony into the cave leading towards the Forest Temple. "What does it want with her?!" He jumped off Epona, searched through one of her saddlebags, and pulled out a lantern. Igniting it quickly, he ran into the cave.

"AIIEEE!!"

He forced his legs to go faster and was soon out of the cave. "Whoa!!" He planted his heels into the ground and came to a sliding stop. "Symphony!" She was on her back, head turned to the side, lying in the mud. He knelt down next to her. "Hey?" No response. "Hey!" Silence. There was no sign of injury, no blood. So Link came to the conclusion that she was passed out. He pulled her against his chest and looked around, remembering that there was still that foe lurking about somewhere. A black figure suddenly darted up one of the trees and disappeared into the night. A sense of safety overcame Link as he stood up, holding the blue haired girl in his arms. Her make up was running down her face, making her look as if she was crying blue tears. He saw the white markings under both of her eyes and touched them, discovering that they were not make up, but in fact tattoos. He winced of the thought of being branded with a tattoo on the sensitive flesh under his lower eyes lids.

A shiver ran through his body.

He ran back to Epona, the lantern swinging from his waist. He knew that he had to get out of the rain or both he and Symphony would get sick. He put the girl on Epona first, then climbed on. "Go Epona! To Ordon!" And she galloped off, wondering about the stranger on her back. They quickly arrived at Link's home and Epona trotted under a tree in hopes of escaping from the rain. Link got down, then eased the unconscious female down into his arms. He gently picked her up and put her over his shoulder so he could maneuver his way up the ladder and into his home. When he was into his home safely, he laid down the girl on the cushioned wooden couch and started a fire in the hearth.

Link threw off his wet clothes and put on his sleeping clothes. He hung his wet clothes near the fire in hopes of drying them. His attention then came to Symphony. "She needs to get out of those wet clothes or she'll catch a cold…but…" His face began to redden. Just how was he supposed to undress her? He gathered up his nerve and walked over to her. He put his hands on her sash with the strange and frightening looking eye on it. "Here goes…"


	2. Chapter 1: Ordon

**Chapter 1: Ordon**

The sun beat down warmly on her face, causing her to let out a groan. "Nyah…" Symphony opened her eyes, her pupils becoming smaller to regulate the amount of light entering her crimson eyes. "My head…" She sat up, rubbing her throbbing temples. "I feel like I got hit by a Goron rolling at full speed…" She looked around at her surroundings. "Where the hell am I?" The small home was quaint and cozy, very welcoming. She eased out of the soft bed. "How cute." A sudden chill went up her legs, causing her to look down. "M-My clothes!" She was wearing a large men's shirt that went down to her mid thigh. "Who…" The smell of food captured her attention suddenly. "Oh…" There was a hearty meal of fruit, eggs, meat, bread, Ordon Goat cheese, and fresh milk. "Damn!" She ran over to the small table and sat down.

"Itadamatsu." She pressed her hands together, paused, then dug in. "Wow! This is so good! I've never had food like this before! Everything's so fresh! I'll have to thank the person that prepared this for me!" Symphony suddenly stopped. "Wait a minute…this is…a country meal…" Her head dropped. "I'm in Ordon, aren't I? How did a big city girl like me end up in this shabby province?" She sighed. "Well, whatever. I'll eat first, then ask questions later. But…I dunno why I can't remember anything after I left Telma's Bar…" She shrugged and finished the rest of her breakfast.

"Okay! I'm full and quite pleased. Where's my…" She glanced at the hearth. "My clothes!" She tossed off the shirt, noticing that the tiny leather covering her breasts and the silk panties were still intact. "Well, if someone _did_ dress me, I'm glad that they didn't remove my under garments…" First she pulled on her arm length, fingerless, leather black gloves. The she pulled on her black skirt and her blue, robe like top. She tucked one half of the top under the other half and tied her white sash with the strange red eye symbol over the top. She spotted her wooden box and opened a small compartment with all shades and colors of homemade make up. She reached for a small bush and rubbed it in a bluish powder, then brushed it on her eyelids. She then opened a small tube, squeezed out a pink gel-like substance, and rubbed it on her lips, coloring them pink. "There, everything the way it should be." She walked over to the door and pulled on her black shoes. "Time to get some answers."

Symphony opened the door and walked out, but suddenly stopped. She looked down at the ground. "Yikes, that could have been a nasty fall…" She used the ladder to get down. "I guess the village is that way." She headed for the village. "Wow, this is a pretty small village." She watched as the people busied themselves with their daily work. She walked further along and finally caught the adults' attention.

"Oh! You must be that young girl that Link brought here!" a blonde woman said with a baby in her arms.

"Link?" Symphony repeated. "Oh…_that_ guy." She made fists. "And just where is he?"

"He's up at the ranch…?"

"Thank you." She stormed off, ready the give that man a piece of her mind.

The other adults approached the blonde woman. "What an extravagant looking girl."

"That's a lot of make up for a young girl."

"She's from the 'big city', what do you expect?"

**--**

Symphony reached the ranch in a huff, but paused when she saw small kids and a girl, maybe a couple of years older than her. "Hmm?"

"C'mon Link!"

"Faster!"

"Beat your old record!"

She shrugged off the thought and walked over. "What's going on?"

The kids turned around and stared at her in awe.

"Wh-What're you lookin' at?" she asked hesitantly.

"So you're the girl Link brought here last night," the older girl said, in somewhat of a whisper. She noticed Symphony's features with a hint of disapproval.

Symphony disregarded the others and spotted Link in the corral. "Hey! Blondie! I gotta talk to you!"

"Um, I'm in the middle of something," Link replied from atop his horse.

"Blondie?" the younger girl repeated.

"Can't ya see he's busy right now?" one of the boys with a red rag on his head pointed out.

"Mind yer own business, kid," Symphony shot back, getting another disapproving look from the older girl. She jumped the fence and started to walk over to Link. "I'm not in the mood for waiting, you hear me?"

"Hey! You shouldn't be in here!" the ranch owner shouted.

"Yeah!" Link added. "It's not safe!"

She walked up to him. "They're a bunch of stupid goats, what can they possibly do?" She put her hands on her hips. "Besides, anyone can herd a dumb animal! It doesn't take a genius!"

"Hey! Don't insult Link!" the kids shouted.

One of the goats just happened to have heard Symphony's little outburst and turned to her. These goats, after all, were incredibly sensitive. It stamped its hoof, then let out an angry snort.

"Hmm?" Link noticed the goat.

"And another thing, Mister-" The goat came charging.

"H-Hey!!" Link shouted.

"Watch out!" the older girl screamed.

"Wh-What?" Symphony spun around and stood in shock as the goat charged towards her. "Shit…"

Link jumped down off his horse and shoved the girl out of the way. He held out his arms and grabbed the goats by its horns, then wrestled it to the ground.

"Way to go Link!!" the children cheered.

_W-Wow, he's pretty strong…_ Symphony shook her head, then stood up. "Oh so what?! So you stopped a goat, big deal!"

The ranch owner sighed as he approached the two. "Look, Link, maybe you should deal with this girl first, then come finish up here, yeah?"

Link sighed as well. "Alright." He petted the fallen goat. "Let's go." He walked over to the fence and Symphony followed him.

"Hey! You messed up Link's groove! He could have beat his old record!" one of the boys shouted at Symphony.

"Just let it go Talo," Link put in. "It's alright."

Symphony bent down to the boy's level, then whispered, "I don't like you."

"Aren't you going to introduce us to her?" the older girl asked Link.

"Oh yeah, right! Symphony, this is Ilia, Beth, Colin, Talo, and Malo," Link introduced.

Symphony rolled her eyes, then smiled. "Hi."

"Nice to meet you," Beth said, admiring Symphony's figure.

Talo crossed his arms in a huff. "Hi."

Colin smiled. "Hello."

Ilia smiled as well. "Hello."

"Hi," Malo said.

At that moment, Symphony stared at Malo, not sure what to make of him. It was an awkward moment that just seemed to center around those two. Their eyes were locked. She blinked a few times. _…What the hell is he? A baby?_ She wanted to poke him in the face.

"Symphony?" Link said.

"Oh? Huh? Y-Yeah?" She turned to him.

"It's rude to stare," Malo said in a whisper.

Symphony regained her composure and gave Link a harsh look. "Take me back home this instant! I don't know why you brought me here!"

"You mean…you don't remember?" Link asked.

"Remember? Remember what?"

He looked at his friends. "Um…C'mon." He grabbed Symphony's hand and led her away.

"Wait! Don't pull so hard, geez!"

Beth put her hands on her hips. "How unfair! I'm jealous! I wanna hold Link's hand too!"

Ilia just watched as her friend walked off with that strange girl.

"I know, we should spy on them!" Talo said with a devious grin.

**--**

Link led Symphony to the springs and faced her. "You honestly don't remember?"

"I think I've established that already!" Symphony said sarcastically.

Link sighed. "Well, after you left Telma's last night, you were abducted."

She suddenly became serious. "I…was what?"

"I don't know who or what it was, but I chased after it. It just dropped you in the Faron Province. I brought you here because you were going to get sick in the rain. And…I wasn't sure if that thing was going to come back for you."

Symphony blinked. "So…then…you saved me, didn't you?" It hurt to say those words. Link nodded. "And you…took care of me?" He nodded once more. She stared hard at the ground. "…But…you're a Hylian…"

"What does that have to do with anything?" he asked. "Besides, aren't you?" She looked up at him, a hint of anger in her eyes. "What?"

She softened her gaze, then sighed in defeat. "…Thank…you." She suddenly smiled. "I guess…I guess you're not so bad after all!"

He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?"

She didn't answer. Instead she took off her shoes and sat at the spring's edge, her feet in the cool water. The sun shone down on them, warming her skin. "I suppose it's not so bad here. I mean, it's really pretty." She looked down again. "…And I suppose…I owe you…my life."

"Uh, well, no. I just didn't want anything to happen to you…"

"…Yes, you are…a kind person…" A gentle breeze tickled her cheek. She turned her gaze to the sky. "I think I'll stay here a little while longer. You can take me home later."

"I…Okay."

Symphony sat with her feet in the water a little while longer, then stood up. "So, why don't you show me around?"

Link tilted his head to one side, then smiled. "Sure."

The two headed side by side to the village, and Symphony looked around in wonderment at the life surrounding her.

"Oh she's smooth," Beth said as she emerged from a bush. "Getting Link alone like that. She has him practically all to herself!" The boys just rolled their eyes.

Ilia watched the two leave, and something began to build up inside of her. What was that feeling? She felt…

**XXXX**

Symphony let out a laugh at Link's joke. "Wow, I've never heard that one before."

Link smiled. "Yeah, I learned that one from a friend in Kakariko."

"Kakariko? I live there!" Symphony informed. She looked back up at the sky. "Yes, Kakariko." They both lay in the grass of the ranch, looking up at the sky. "The sky is always so pretty at this time of day…" It was again a fiery orange. She sighed and sat up. "I have to go now Link."

"Oh, yes, of course." They both stood up and headed over to his house. "Let me just changed out of these clothes."

"Into you dumb green outfit?" Symphony said with a teasing smile.

"Ha ha, very funny."

She suddenly paused. _Green outfit…THAT green outfit…It looks like the one in…_ "…Link, are you…?"

"Am I what?" he asked, half way up the ladder.

She shook her head. There was no way that HE could be the Hero of Legend. "Nothing! Just hurry up!"

She waited for a few minutes before Link emerged again from his house, ready to go. He jumped down, not using the ladder, and saddled up Epona. "Okay, let's go."

"O-On her?" Symphony asked.

"Yeah, of course! What's wrong?"

"I…Horses and I don't mix."

Link blinked. "Oh…" A thought crossed his mind. "Then why don't you sit in front of me instead of behind me. That way you can't fall off."

"U-Um, alright, if you say so…" He helped her onto the horse, then climbed up behind her.

"Are you leaving now?" Ilia said as she came up the path.

"Oh, Ilia!" Link said. "Uh, yeah. I'll be back a little later."

"…Alright."

"Let's go Epona!" He nudged her sides and she started off in a gallop.

"I better not fall off!" Symphony cried.

"You won't, trust me!"

Ilia sighed, then closed her eyes. "I…can't be jealous…"


	3. Chapter 2: It's Back

**Chapter 2: It's Back**

Link and Symphony rode to Kakariko at a normal pace, not wanting to push Epona. The sky was slowing becoming a blue-purple color, and the moon could be seen creeping over the mountains. Symphony held onto Epona's mane, terrified of falling off.

"Relax," Link whispered into Symphony's ear. He touched her upper arm. "You don't want to pull Epona's mane. She won't like that…"

Symphony's heart skipped a beat. Link's breath was warm and it tickled her neck. And his touch was so gentle, it's like his hand wasn't even on her arm. "S-Sorry…" she whispered, letting her fingers fall to the sides of Epona's neck. She bit her lower lip and winced. _What is he so damn close! Relax Symphony. He's a Hylian…But a nice one…_ The clanking of Link's weapons pulled her out of her thoughts. "So why do you have those again?"

"Force of habit," Link replied.

"So, you're a swordsman?"

"…Yes."

"A ranch hand and a swordsman. Wow." She suddenly froze.

"Did you just tense up?" Link asked.

"…The right…"

"What did you say? I can't hear you."

"Go to the right, now!!" she screamed.

Link, startled by Symphony's shout, roughly pulled on Epona's reigns to the right. "What was that-" And arrow zoomed by his head.

Symphony turned around and saw someone, or something. "L-Link…"

He turned as well. "It's that thing…from last night!!" It appeared to be on a horse, but the only thing visible was its glowing red eyes. It suddenly began to move towards them.

"Link it's coming!!"

"Epona, GO!!" He kicked her on the sides and she burst forward at full speed.

"Link, it's gonna catch us!!"

"No it's not! No one is faster than Epona when she's at full speed! We just have to make it to Kakariko!" They rode hard, trying to get as far away from the foe as possible. "We're almost there!" It seemed to only take a minute before they reached Kakariko.

Symphony jumped off of Epona and ran to the gate. "Link! Let's close the gate!!"

"Alright!" He jumped down and ran over to help.

"These metal gates are so heavy!!" Symphony said as she tried her hardest to push the gate.

"I know, but just keep pushing!"

In the distance, the foe was coming closer.

"Link!" Link ran over to her side and began to push with her. They managed to close the gate, but the foe was even closer than before. They ran to the other side and began to push it. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon!!"

The foe was just ten feet away from the gate, but they closed it! And he quickly had to come to a stop on his horse, lest he run right into the gate. The two moved away from the gate, not wanting to be so close to the foe.

"By the gods," Symphony whispered. "What does it want…?" The foe suddenly turned and went in the opposite direction. "…It's gone…" They both panted heavily and dropped to the ground.

"How did it know where we were?" Link asked.

Symphony stood up and dusted her clothes off. "Let's go to my place Link. We need to get inside."

The moon was slowly being covered by clouds.

He stood up too. "Yes, you're right." He glanced at her. "…How did you know about the arrow?"

She looked at the ground. "…I…I'm…" Her eyes widened as she turned her attention to the fields of Hyrule. "Link…"

"What?"

"G-Get on the horse…"

"Why?"

A dark figured appeared in the distance, moving blinding fast.

"It's back!!" she screamed.

Lights suddenly flew on in the village homes.

"It's gonna jump the fence!!"

It was now very close.

Link jumped on the back of his steed and Symphony climbed up too. "Epona! Go!!" The horse bolted again, and as Symphony looked back, she saw the dark figure jump the fence. It was right on their tail.

People came running out of the Inn and out of their homes so see the commotion.

Epona burst through the other gate and galloped quickly through the Eldin Province.

"Link, where are we going?!" Symphony shouted.

"I don't know, but we just have to get away!!"

She suddenly realized the route they were going. "We're going to reach the…" Her mind was made up. She knew what she was going to do was incredibly dangerous and reckless, but she had to. Her grip tightened around Link's waist. She turned around. "Link, it's still on us!"

"Maybe we can lose in through the gorge!" They came to the Eldin Bridge, ready to cross, when more arrows come their way, but these ones were alight. "What the hell?!"

"Link! There are creatures at the tops of the bridge!" Symphony shouted as she pointed them all out.

"No…not them…" Link whispered. "Symphony! Keep your head down! Chances are the gorge is filled with enemies!" He let out a low growl. "This dark foe of ours chased us right into a trap. And it's too late to turn around…dammit!"

They hit the entrance of the gorge and just as Link had said, more arrows began to rain down on them. "Symphony, try to get my shield off my back and use it to cover us!"

"Okay!" She tugged at Link's shield and was able to get it off. She slid her arm into the handles and held up the shield. Her eyes didn't want to open. She was terrified. She buried her face into Link's back.

Link, sensing her fear, shouted, "Don't worry Symphony, I'll get us through this!"

"I know…but…" This was her chance! She saw it! The opening! She reattached the shield to Link's back. "I'm sorry!" She jumped of Epona's back and rolled to the ground.

"Symphony!?" Link cried. She got to her feet and quickly ran into the Hidden Village. Link had no choice but to keep going. If he turned around, he would surely meet that dark foe in combat.

**--**

"Impaz!!" Symphony ran through the deserted village. "Impaz!!" She cried out again. She reached the home of the elderly woman. She burst through the door, her heart pounding against her chest.

Impaz shot up in her bed. "By the gods!"

Symphony walked over to the bed and dropped to her knees. "Impaz…"

Impaz quickly put on her glasses. "Symphony?! Symphony, is that you?!"

Symphony nodded. She looked up at the woman. "…Grandma…"

The woman almost cried. "My sweet girl…Symphony. It's been eleven years…" She held Symphony's face in her hands, wiping away a tiny tear. "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here…"

"Grandma, I'm in trouble…" She sniffled.

"Trouble?! H-Have they found you?!"

"N-No…but something is after me and my friend Link."

"Link you say?! Please, tell me, what's going on!"

"There are monsters and they're trying to kill us! And a dark figure tried to kidnap me last night but Link saved me!"

"…Dark…f-figure…!"

"Grandma, I need _it_."

"No! No Symphony, you can't use it! It's not safe!"

"I know, but I'm the only one who can control it. I won't release its true form. I have to help Link! It…It chose me, and I can't run away from it anymore. I'm its rightful owner…"

"…Symphony…alright." She got out of the bed and walked over to a small crate. She pushed it aside, revealing a hole in the wall. She reached in and pulled out a chest. "It's in here. You know I can't touch it in my condition."

"I know…" Symphony walked over to it and knelt down. She reached out for the chest, her hands trembling. She opened it and inside was a large ball and chain. She hesitated. "…Grandma, why did it choose me?"

"I…I don't know…" She looked away.

Symphony took a deep breath, then grabbed the weapon. "Ngh!!" Her face convulsed in pain. "N-No…it's…mine!" The pain vanished and she stood up. "Okay, hard part's over." She turned to Impaz. "Grandma, thank you for everything."

"Wait, I want to give you something." She reached into the small opening again and pulled out another chest. She opened it and held up a purple medallion. It had an upside-down triangle on it with a circle on each side if it.

"Grandma…" She knelt down again to allow Impaz to put in on her.

"This is an ancient relic that has been passed down for generations to the females in our family. It'll keep you safe."

"Thank you."

"You've grown into a beautiful woman, Symphony."

Symphony remained silent. She suddenly opened her mouth, then shut it. She turned on her heel and left. Once outside of the house, she rubbed her eyes. "Damn it all…Oh!" She reached for the wooden box on her back and set it down. "I don't think I'll need this medicine box anymore…" She then wrapped the long chain of the mace around her left hand and held the handle in her right hand. "You better obey me…" She started to run for the way out of the Hidden Village. "I hope I still remember how to use this…The Soul-Stealing Hammer…the most feared and deadliest weapon…of the Shiekah Tribe…"

**XXXX**

Link had no idea where Symphony had gone or if the dark figure was still following him. Something caught his eye and he turned his head.

_BAM!!_

Spots filled Link's vision. His head was throbbing and his back was in pain. Something wet tickled his side and he reached for it. He brought his hand to his face, and when the spot disappeared and the moon shone brightly once again, he saw that his hand was stained red. Blood. He sat up, but it felt like a million daggers were hitting his body at once. Epona was immediately at his side. He looked around, trying to remember what happened. "Oh…I was knocked off…but by what?" He soon got his answer.

The dark figure was atop a horse nearby, holding out a sword, fresh blood dripping from it.

"Damn…" Link pulled himself to his feet, despite the pain, and drew his own sword. The figure got down from the horse, and it disappeared. "What?" The figure ran towards Link, ready to fight.

Their swords met and sparks flew. They sprang apart, then rushed each other again. Every time one attacked, the other did the same move. Link was frustrated. It was as if he was fighting a mirror. But then, he spotted an opening, and took his chance. He thrust his sword forward, but something happened that he would have never suspected. The dark figure moved with blinding speed and was soon standing on Link's sword, as if weightless! Its cloak danced in the light breeze. There was no defensive action that Link could take. He was open to the blow, and he would receive it. The sword of his enemy came down fast.

"LINK!!"

A chain wrapped around the enemy's blade, but it came down on Link's shoulder instead. "GAAAH!!" He fell.

The dark figure turned to its new opponent- Symphony.

"Foul creature!" she screamed.

The figure pulled its sword free of the chain and jumped back.

"That won't work!" Symphony released more of the chain and swung it forward. The ball was headed straight for the figure, but it pulled the lower half of its body back. Symphony smirked and stepped on the chain, causing the spiked ball to go upward, hitting the enemy in the chin.

"GAH!!" Blood spilled on the ground as the enemy held its chin.

Symphony pulled the ball back. "Come on!" The figure ran towards her, but this time she wrapped the chain around her leg, and when was inched away from the right side of her right leg, she turned to her left and kicked up in the air. The spiked ball went upwards along with her leg, and the enemy was too close to move. The ball hit it in the chest.

"NGH!!" It jumped back to get away. "This is not over!!" it shouted. And with that, it vanished.

Symphony panted, then fell to her knees. "This…This thing…my energy…"

"Nnngh…dammit…"

Symphony's head shot up. "Link!" She ran over to him and knelt at his side. "Your wounds!" He was bleeding profoundly. "You're so pale!" She sat him up, his head resting on her chest. "Link, you're cold!"

"That…figure…was a…person," Link managed to say. "And he…knew all of my attacks…"

"What?"

"It was like…fighting…myself…"

"Link…don't talk anymore!"

"Damn…I…I can't die…I'm the…" He couldn't hold his eyes open.

"Link!! Stay with me!!"

"Symphony," he began with his eyes closed, a smile on his face. "…Even though…I knew you for no more than…two days…I think…that you're a…nice person…when it comes down…to it…"

"Shut up!!" she cried, the tears stinging her eyes. "You're not gonna die!! I won't let you!" She held out her free arm. "I'm not the self-proclaimed healer of Hyrule for nothing, you idiot!!" Her hand began to glow white. "By the great and virtuous goddesses, creators of the heavens and earth, lend me your power!" She touched Link's chest, her hand glowing even brighter. "HIGH-CURE TECHNIQUE!!" Link's wounds suddenly began to disappear. Symphony concentrated harder, a slight breeze starting to pick up. Her short blue locks twirled about her face. "C'mon!" Link's wounds completely disappeared, causing Symphony to let out a giggle. "I did it! Link!" She shook him. "Link?" She looked up at Epona who hadn't left Link's side since he was injured. "He's unconscious."

Symphony looked around. "I need to get him somewhere safe so he can rest. I can't go back through that gorge…Ah! The Castle Market is close by. I'll take him to Telma's." She stood up, still holding the blonde. "Okay horse…Epona, you're gonna have to carry your master." She looked around again. "Um…you're not expecting me to lift this heavy bastard onto your back, are you?" Epona seemed to roll her eyes as she got down on her front knees. "That works too!" She pushed Link on Epona's back. "I'm terrified of horses, so you don't have to worry about me on your back." She grabbed the reigns in one hand and held her ball and chain in the other. "Come!" The clicked her tongue and started to walk towards the castle, dragging her mace. Epona followed close behind her.


	4. Chapter 3: Hyrule Castle

**Chapter 3: Hyrule Castle**

"Ngh…" Link's eyes drifted open. "Wh-What…" He forced himself to sit up. "Symphony?"

"Hmm?"

He looked over to the person sitting at the window. "Hey…Where are-"

"Telma's house," Symphony replied, still starring out of the window.

"We are?"

She didn't respond. "…It started raining again when I brought you here…This rain…is ominous."

He slowly began to think back. "…The monsters!!"

Symphony turned to him finally. "Link?"

"We have to go tell Princess Zelda about this! There shouldn't be monsters roaming the plains of Hyrule anymore! And this dark foe of ours! What's he all about?!" He tried to get out of the bed, but winced at the sudden surge of pain.

"Hey, don't move!" Symphony got up and walked over to him. "I healed your wounds, but that doesn't mean that you won't feel any pain!" She placed her hand on his chest and gently pushed him back down. "Rest."

"You…healed me?"

"What do you think, idiot? You'd be dead by the time I got you here if I didn't heal you."

"How'd you-"

"By the gods, I'm a _white mage_, okay?! Now stop asking questions and rest!!" This time she shoved him down into the bed.

"Well it's no wonder you don't get any patients, hun." The two turned their attention to Telma, who happened to be coming through the door with a tray of food. "You're not very gentle when it comes to resting, are you?" She winked at the young girl.

"There's no reason why anyone should have to push themselves past their limits! Resting is the key to living a long life!" Symphony explained.

"Okay, okay," Telma laughed. She set the tray down before Link. "You'll need to eat if you want to regain your strength, hero."

"Hero?" Symphony whispered.

"Thank you Telma," Link sighed. "But we really need to speak with the princess. This is very important."

"Well, it's still early in the morning," Telma responded. "Why don't you go in the afternoon?"

"We will," Symphony quickly answered.

"We?" Link repeated.

"Yep." She turned to him, an upset look on her face. "YOU are supposed to take me home!!"

"Oh boy…" Telma sighed. She quickly left.

"I will, but-"

"No 'buts'! You just threw off my whole life schedule!"

"I what?!"

"I could be out right now healing people and selling medicine, but you got me caught up in some drama!" She slammed her hands on the bed and leaned in close, their faces inches apart. "Do you know how much money you've cost me?"

"Wh-What?"

She pulled away, her back to the blonde. "Number one rule in life: always have money. Money is everything. He who has money, has power, got that?"

"Symphony, that's crazy-"

"And you owe me for the treatment!" She turned back to him and shook her finger. "Tsk tsk, I can't be giving out any free rides." She held out her hand. "Three hundred rupees."

"WHAT?!"

"I'm doing you a favor. That's the discount price."

"You're crazy!" Link shouted.

Telma was standing outside of the door the whole time, grinning. "It looks like those two have become good friends."

**--**

"Thanks again Telma," Link said. Symphony waved goodbye, and they walked away. Link's left arm was around Symphony's shoulders and her right arm was around his waist while her left hand held an umbrella to shield them from the rain. Link was still in pain after all.

"I've never been to the castle before," Symphony pointed out.

"It's no big deal, really. I've been there a couple of times myself," he answered.

"…Just who are you Link?" Symphony asked, her eyebrow raised. "I mean, you're a swordsman even though we don't have many of them in this day and age. And apparently you've been _inside_ the castle before. _And_ Telma called you 'Hero'." He smirked. "And what's that look for?"

"You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you." Link suddenly became serious. "Those monsters we saw last night…_why_ were they there? It's not possible…"

They made their way through the gloomy city. Hardly any people were running about because of the rain. It was just such a sad looking day. The steps leading to the castle were soon in the pair's sight as they neared their destination. Up the stairs they went, past the two snoozing guards, but the door leading to the main entryway to the castle was guarded.

"What business do you have here?" one of the guards asked.

"We desire an audience with Princess Zelda," Symphony answered.

"Bah! No such wish can be granted now! Commoners are not to be in the castle today. Besides, it's raining," the guard shot back.

"Why don't you just go home?" the other guard insisted.

"But-"

"Look, if you two keep this up, we'll have you arrested! Now be gone!" The two guards would not budge, nor could they be persuaded otherwise.

"Alright fine. Sorry to have troubled you," Link swiftly responded.

"What?!" Symphony blurted.

Link put a finger to his lips. "There is another way." He pulled his arm away from his female companion's shoulder, then attempted to stand straight. "But you must be quiet about it and follow me." Before she could say another word, Link took her hand and led her to the market's alleyways. Yes, he knew of another way. It was the passage that led him through the sewers and through the dungeon of Hyrule Castle a year ago.

"Giovanni's house seems to be built on top of a secret entrance leading underground," Link informed.

"Oh, I know him," Symphony said. "He's the richest man in this city. But I didn't know he had a little house here. I thought he always stayed in the Nobles' Quarters…"

They arrived at the tiny house and Link pried off the boards nailed up against the door. Inside was empty, save for the dust and spiders crawling around. "Looks like he cleaned this place out before he left…"

"Not a single gold piece or rupee left," Symphony said as she kicked at the floor.

"Careful. Somewhere on the floor is the passage. I just don't remember what spot it was in."

"That's useful," she said sarcastically. Her eyes traveled towards Link. He was resting against the wall, his face trying to hide his pain. "Look, you better take it easy. Don't strain yourself."

"I'm fine. There's nothing wrong with me, okay?"

"So stubborn," she sighed. She moved towards the center of the room. "So what, do we just pull up floorboards until we find this so-called 'secret passage'?" A stomp from her foot sent small vibrations through the floor. It was suddenly quiet, causing Link and Symphony to look around. "Hmm?" The entire room made a creaking sound. "What's that?"

"Symphony…!"

The wooden planks were Symphony stood suddenly flexed under her and snapped. "AH!!" Down into the dark depths of the earth she went.

"Symphony!" Link shouted as he knelt at the edge of the hole. "Hey! Can you hear me?" There was no response. "Symphony!?"

"L-Link…"

He perked up. "Symphony! Are you alright?!"

"Well, I have a few cuts here and there and my head's still spinning, but it's nothing major." There was a pause. "It looks like I found the passage."

"Okay, I'm coming down." Link jumped down into the hole and landed with a thud. It was pretty dark, and he could barely make out Symphony standing near him. She kept rubbing her head and checking her hand for blood, her eyes squinted in the faint light. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." Symphony let her hand fall to her side and squinted further into the dark. "I can see a light up ahead."

"Alright, then let's get moving." The two traveled cautiously through the dark, making their way towards the light. Once they reached their destination, they continued through the underground passage and carefully made their way up into the castle.

**XXXX**

Before long, the two companions were on top of the castle, heading for the window that would lead them to the room of Princess Zelda of Hyrule. The rain had not ceased, making their task quite dangerous.

"Be careful," Link warned. "There are soldiers right below us and it's slippery up here. We can't get caught now."

"Right," Symphony said with a determined nod. They slowly walked along the roof of the castle. "Link, are you sure this is legal?"

Link didn't stop moving nor did her turn to her. "No. It's not, but we have to see Princess Zelda."

"How do you know that Zelda won't call the guards on us?" Symphony asked.

"She won't, trust me. I know her." He stopped when he reached a large gap between they roof they were on and the one they needed to get to. "Oh, and please call her _Princess_ Zelda."

Symphony glared. "Formalities are such a waste of time." Symphony was never one for titles. She never called Telma, her adopted mother, 'Mom' and she never called Impaz 'Grandmother'. And when she spoke to adults or married persons, she always called them by their first name. Many, if not all, people that came into contact with her, especially older people, thought ill of her and considered her rude. However, this was not what Symphony thought. If anything, she thought that titles were rude. She believed that formalities made people on different levels than others and, therefore, created an unequal society. To her, everyone was on the same level. She could care less that Zelda was a princess. In her eyes, Zelda was just a normal person that _happened_ to come from a rich background and just _happened_ to have fancy clothes and just _happened_ to live in a fancy palace and just _happened_ to have a crown. She knew that under all of that, Zelda was just like everyone else.

"That's not very polite you know," Link responded as he launched himself across the gap and grabbed the edge of the next building. He pulled himself up and turned to Symphony.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just goes to show that we have two very different ideas about 'polite'." She looked at the gap, then to Link. "Um…"

"What?"

"Do you really expect me to jump _that_?!" She held out her arms towards the gap to emphasize her point.

"Oh come on, it's not that bad. Look, all you have to do is jump across and grab onto the edge. Then I'll pull you up, okay?"

"A…Alright…" She took a deep breath, back up, then ran. She jumped over the gap and grabbed onto the edge. "Ack!"

"Gimme your hands!" Link said quickly as he reached down.

From the moment that she jumped across, Symphony was in trouble. And when she grabbed onto the edge, she had only used her fingers. She was only hanging on with her finger tips, rather than her hands. "Link!" She shouted as she slipped away from the edge.

"Symphony!!"

Symphony's heart raced as she plummeted. She was terrified. What could she do? Two things were bound to happen: She would either fall to the ground and die or she would fall into a guard post and get executed for trying to sneak into the castle. Either way she looked at it, she was going to die. What now? Was there no other option?

An idea suddenly came to her as a guard post came into view. "I could…! Yes! Sheikah blood still runs through my veins!" It was a stretch, but at that moment, she was going to put her life in the hands of a technique utilized by her people used for espionage and assassinations. It was a basic technique that all Sheikah learned, but Symphony had never practiced her Sheikan abilities because of certain circumstances. She did not know if it would work, but she had to try the technique.

Symphony pulled the first two fingers of each hand together and pulled her hands close to her mouth. She visualized where she wanted to go. _Please work! PLEASE!!_ Symphony was even closer to the guard post. In fact, she was too close. The soldier had turned around and the two made eye contact. Time seemed to come to a stop as the astonished soldier stared at Symphony and she stared back at him. "TELEPORTATION!!"

She was gone.

**--**

Link's mind was racing to so many different questions, but not answers. Why hadn't he moved faster? Why hadn't he helped Symphony across? What happened to her? Was she dead? Was she still alive somehow? If she was, where was she? How could he let this happen? What kind of hero was he? He wanted to yell. Yell and scream and shout because of his incompetence. How could he let this happen?

"AAH!!"

Link suddenly looked up and what he saw caused his breath to get caught in his throat. Symphony was falling straight towards him. He couldn't think. His mind was blank. His body just moved on its own. He held out his arms and Symphony, rather roughly, fell right into them. They fell backwards, but Link kept them from falling off the building. His mouth simply hung open and Symphony buried her face in his chest, shaking violently.

"L…Link…I…"

Link's thoughts suddenly came back to him. "Symphony," he began as he sat up, still clutching the young girl, "how did you do that?"

"I…" She froze. At that moment Symphony realized something. She realized that she _was_ able to use her clan's powers. "If I can do that…then…what else can I do?" she whispered.

"Symphony?"

"Yeah!! Some girl fell off the roof and then she disappeared! I think there's more of 'em up there!!"

Link and Symphony jumped up. "Dammit! Link! A soldier saw me!!"

"Then we have to get moving!!" Link grabbed Symphony's hand and led her across the rooftop.

"Hey! I see someone over there!! After them!" Soldiers began to pile on the roof behind the two.

"Link! They're gonna catch us!!"

Link was trying to plan out his next move, but no idea crossed his mind. They were trapped. There was no way out unless they exposed themselves.

"Link! Are we trying to get to that window up there?!" Symphony pointed up at an open window.

"Yes!"

"Then hold on!" She grabbed onto Link and vanished with him in her arms.

The soldiers came to a stop when they couldn't find anyone. "Hey, where'd they go?"

"There's no way they could've escaped!"

"Maybe they jumped off?"

"No way! They'd die!"

"Put the castle on lock down. We have to protect Her Highness!"

"Yes sir!"

Symphony watched as the soldiers ran back into the castle. She let out a long sigh, then turned to Link whose eyes were wide. "What?"

"How…How…"

"I don't feel like explaining the details." She looked around. "So we made it to this window, now what?"

Link shook his head. "Oh yeah, right." He got down from the window into the inside of the castle. He then turned back to the opening and held up his arms. "Come on."

"I don't need your help to get down from here," Symphony said with a deadpan face. She swung her legs over the ledge and shooed Link out of the way with her foot. She got down and they both made their way up the stairs.

Link stopped at the door and took a deep breath. "You better behave, okay?"

"What are you, my mother?"

Link rolled his eyes and pushed gently on the door. "P-Princess Zelda?" He slid into the room.

"Link?!" The Princess Zelda stood by the hearth with a look of shock on her face. "Is it really you?!"

"Yes, it is."

"Link!" She walked over to him. "It's been a while." She bowed, then looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, uh…"

"Just spit it out already!" Symphony pushed Link out of her way and stepped before Zelda.

"Link, who is this?"

"This is-"

"Symphony," Symphony answered.

"Oh…Well, it's a pleasure to meet you." Zelda held out her hand, but was met with a cold stare. Symphony stared at the young leader of Hyrule, which soon became a soft glare. Zelda put her hand down, studying the young girl's features. Red eyes. Tattoos under her eyes. A strange eye marking on her sash. _That's impossible. Is this girl…?_

Link feigned a cough to return the attention to him. "Princess Zelda, last night, Symphony and I encountered monsters in the Eldin Province."

"What?!" Zelda turned to him. "That can't be true!"

"It is," Symphony said.

"But the soldiers patrol that area, along with the other provinces, every morning. I just got the report back and they said that everything was fine. You must be-"

"It's true princess," Link quickly put in. "We were attacked."

"But…" Zelda turned away from them and moved to the window. "…That's not possible. I haven't sensed _anything_. If there were monster in this land, I would know."

"Perhaps they're cloaking there presence somehow. And maybe they only come out at night."

"Cloaking their presence?" She stared out at the rain. "…It's…possible…"

"And there's something else…"

Zelda turned back to him. "…Yes?"

"A shadowy figure. He's been following us…I think…I think he's after Symphony."

"Wait just a damn second!" Symphony shouted. "What do you mean by that?! He can't be after me!"

"Symphony, he abducted you once before! And then he found us last night! I think he wants you!"

"You're crazy!! I'm not involved in this! I-I just got dragged into this by _you_!" She pointed her finger harshly at the blonde.

Zelda stood silently, thinking. "…Link, you might be right…Perhaps this shadowy figure is able to cloak the essence of the monsters."

"Then what do we do?"

"…Go to Death Mountain. I have heard that deep with the Goron Mines is a mirror that does not cast a reflection and it is made of Oracle Crystals."

"Oracle Crystals?" Link repeated.

"Yes. They are rare jewels that enhance the abilities of sages and clairvoyants. Only four exist in the world and all of them have been used in the forgery of the mirror-"

"You mean the Mystic Mirror, don't you?" Symphony asked. Her eyes were closed, arms folded, and she was leaning against the wall.

"Yes…but-"

"I know _every_ legend…" She opened her eyes and looked at the princess.

"…Yes…the Mystic Mirror is what I need in order to dispel the barrier masking the essence of the monsters and to reveal the true form of this shadowy figure."

"Alright!" Link said. "Then I'll go to Death Mountain and get the mirror for you!"

Zelda smiled. "Link…Thank you. If Hyrule truly is in danger once again, then we all need you."

"I know…"

Symphony unfolded her arms and looked at Link. "…?"

"Your Highness!! Your Highness!!" There was a pounding on the door. The three youths froze.

"Y-Yes?" Zelda asked.

"May I come in? I have urgent news!"

"No, stay where you are. I'm quite busy at the moment."

"I-I am sorry to interrupt you then, but I have just received word that there are a two people roaming around the castle. We're going to lock everything down until we find them!"

Zelda paused before saying, "Alright. You may leave."

"Y-Yes!!" He was gone.

Zelda turned to Link and Symphony. "I'll inform the soldiers of you, Link. That way you'll be able to use the front door next time." She smiled.

"I, uh, sorry."

"It's fine. Now both of you," she moved to the door, "come with me. I shall lead you out of the castle without anyone knowing."

"Yes." Link followed her out of the door.

Symphony didn't move. "…Princess Zelda…of Hyrule…She…My people…" She stared at the floor, her body trembling. It was trembling with-

"Symphony, what are you doing?" Link popped back into the room. "C'mon!"

"Oh, yes! I'm sorry!" She quickly followed after him


	5. Chapter 4: Death Mountain

**Chapter 4: Death Mountain **

After their meeting with Zelda, Link and Symphony had stayed for the remainder of the day with Telma. They didn't want to risk going out at night through the Eldin Province. But when morning came around, the two packed up their things, weapons included, and said their good-byes to Telma. Now they were on their way to Kakariko. Once there, they were immediately greeted by Renado.

"Link! Symphony!" Renado approached the two with a worried expression.

"Hi Renado," Symphony casually said.

"What's wrong?" Link asked as he got down off Epona and helped Symphony off.

"A lot, actually. Come, let's talk about this inside.

Over the past year, Kakariko had become a bustling town and was always crowded with tourists wanting to see Death Mountain. The Inn prospered from this, of course.

Renado led them into his home. He let out a long sigh. "I remember that night when the two of you rode through our town being chased by something…"

"Oh yeah…" Symphony whispered.

"It seems that after that night, things have been bad…"

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

"It's…Death Mountain."

"What about it?" Symphony questioned.

"A wall has appeared blocking the path to Death Mountain," Renado answered.

"What?!"

"Yes. We have been unable to break through. Even the mighty Gorons can't break it." He sighed once more. "I'm worried about our Goron brethren trapped on Death Mountain…"

Link made fists. "Leave it to me Renado! I'll think of something. Besides, I have important business on Death Mountain and nothing is going to stop me!"

"Link," Renado whispered. "…Thank you."

Link nodded and left. Symphony stared at the door.

"Symphony, I haven't seen you in a while, I trust that you've been-"

"Excuse me Renado." Symphony ran out after Link. "Link! Hey!"

Link turned around. "Symphony…"

"You can't just leave like that! You-"

"Symphony, I've brought you home."

"Huh?"

He put his hand on her head as if she were just a child. "You and I can't stay together anymore. We have different destinies in life. The path I must walk is a lonely one, but that's the way it's supposed to be." He rubbed her head. "I had fun, even if the time we spent together was short…"

"But-"

"I wish you a long and happy life. May the goddesses watch over you." And with that, he was off to the wall blacking the path to Death Mountain.

Symphony watched Link walk away from her and disappeared up the mountain trail. "…Link…" She rubbed her own head. "Hmph…" Her cheeks had a slight tint of pink to them. "That man…!" She froze. "Hey…wait a minute…" She suddenly began to stomp the ground. "Dammit all to hell!!" She ran after Link.

**XXXX**

Link ran his hand over the wall. "Hmm, this is definitely some hard stuff." He tapped it with his fist. "If I can find a weak spot, I'm sure I'll be able to break through with a bomb…" Something caught his attention, causing him to turn around. Symphony stood there, her face blank. Link sighed, then smiled. "Symphony, I told you, I can't take you with me. It's too dangerous. Please, just go back. I promise I'll come visit you one day, okay?"

"Will you just shut up?!" Symphony pulled her mace off her sash and swung it at Link, narrowly missing him.

Link froze and slowly turned his head to the side. The mace was stuck in the wall and was very close to him. "Wh-What're you-"

Symphony walked up to him, grabbed him by his collar, and pulled him down to her level. "Listen you, you owe me money."

"Wh-What?!"

"You never paid me for that treatment. And now you owe me for risking my life to help you break into the castle."

"Wait a-"

"Plus you owe me for lost wages _plus_ interest!"

"Where are you getting these estima-"

"That comes out to one thousand six hundred and seventy three rupees." She held out her hand. "_Pay me_."

"WHAT?! Do I _look_ like I have that kind of money on me?!"

"If you don't pay me, so help me gods I'll-"

"Can't we make a deal or something?!" Link quickly shouted.

Symphony let him go. "…A deal, huh?" She turned her back to him.

Curse that wall being there! Link had no way to escape from this girl, and now whatever she wanted, he would have to give to her. _Please don't be something crazy,_ Link prayed.

"Okay, I've done the math and planned ahead." She turned back to him. "If I stick with you, I'm bound to make lots of money and find some valuable things that I can cash in for a lot." She poked him in the chest. "I'm coming with you whether you like it or not, _partner_."

Link turned his head away from her. _Oh great! What have I gotten myself into?! I should have just let that dark foe take her!_ "O-Okay, d-deal…"

She smiled. "Good!" She moved away from him and looked at the wall. "So," she rubbed her hands together, "what were you planning to do?"

"Well, I-"

"Your idea sucks," Symphony said nonchalantly. She wrapped her mace around her sash.

"But I didn't even-"

"Let's teleport to the other side."

He blinked. "What?"

She held out her hand. "C'mon, what's wrong?"

"Um, alright…" He placed his hand in hers.

"You're going to have to start trusting me if we're going to be traveling together." Link didn't respond. "Okay, here goes." She put her first two fingers of her free hand up to her lips. _Teleportation!_

When Link opened his eyes, they were on the other side of the wall. "Whoa…"

"Whoa is right," Symphony said. "Look, check this out."

Link turned around and walked to her side. The entire trail looked like a battlefield. There were holes in the ground and stalagmites popping out of the ground everywhere. "What happened here?"

"I don't know, but I hope the Gorons are okay…" She started walking up the trail.

"Hey wait!"

"Hurry up!" He ran after her.

Little did they know that someone was watching them…

**XXXX**

"Something definitely isn't right," Link murmured.

"Where is everyone?" Symphony asked.

They walked right by the hot springs and found no one. The continued walking until they came to the hidden platform.

"We can get up inside with this," Link informed. He jumped on the switch. "C'mon, it needs more weight!"

Symphony crossed her arms. "Are you calling me fat?!"

"N-No! The-"

Symphony jumped on the switch as hard as she could and it went down. "Cool." Link just sighed. The platform went up and stopped in the inside of the Gorons' home. "No one's here either?" Symphony pushed the curtain aside only to be greeted by a Goron rolling at full speed. "By the gods!" She teleported out of the way.

"Symphony?!" Link ripped the curtain down and was immediately slammed against the wall by the Goron.

"Who has entered my home, goro?!" boomed the Goron's voice.

Link tried his best to keep the Goron from crushing him into the wall. "H-Hey!" he chocked out. Sweat began to trickle down his forehead. The veins in his muscles felt like they were going to burst.

"Please stop!!" Symphony screamed as she jumped onto the Goron. "You're going to kill him!"

"That's the idea, goro!!" the Goron responded.

"I-It's me!!" Link put one foot against the wall and tried to plant the other one firmly in the ground. "It's _Link_!!"

"Link…goro?"

"Get off of him!!" Symphony shouted as she tried to bite the rock-like flesh of the Goron. "I'm going to kick your ass if you don't-"

The Goron came out of his ball-like form and sat back on the ground, crushing Symphony under his weight. "Link?"

Link let out a ragged sigh and fell forward. "Y-Yes, it's me."

"Oh, goro!"

"Get your fat ass off my fragile body!!" Symphony shrieked.

"Uh-oh, goro!" The Goron quickly jumped up. "I'm sorry."

Link ran over to Symphony and helped her up. "You better be sorry you giant idiot."

"Symphony…" Link whispered.

"You're not very nice, goro…" The Goron turned his attention to Link. "Link, goro, have you come here to rescue us?!"

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

"The Goron Mines have completely burned out! All of the lava has hardened and my brothers are trapped inside, goro!"

"Do you know what caused this?"

"No, goro! That wall went up as soon as I crossed over into this land. It just looks like my brothers were fighting something before I got here. I think they were able to fight it into the mines but they fell into a trap! Please save them, goro!"

Link glared. "Alright, I will!!" He headed towards the entrance of the mines with Symphony behind him.

"Wait, goro!"

"What?" Link asked as he turned around.

"She can't go in."

"What the hell not?!" Symphony growled.

"Yes, why?"

"Because she is an outsider. Only our brothers may enter, goro."

"But she's my companion. She's helping me."

The Goron walked over to them. "So she's your mate?"

"WHAAAT!?" Link and Symphony shouted.

"You've got to be kidding me!!" Symphony yelled.

"W-We're not mates! Just companions!" Link shouted.

"It means the same thing, goro."

"NO IT DOESN'T!!"

The Goron smiled. "Don't try to hide it brother Link, goro! Our elders and patriarch will be quite happy that you have found a mate! You are becoming a man right before our eyes!"

"STOP IT!!"

The Goron embraced Symphony, tears of joy in his eyes. "Then it is my honor to meet you Mrs. Link!"

"What're you doing?! Put me-"

"Goron hugs are customary, goro!" He squeezed Symphony in his arms.

"MY SPINE!! MY SPINE!! MY SPINE!! MY SPIIIIIIINE!!" Symphony screamed as the tears poured from her eyes. There was a loud 'snap' noise.

Both Link and the Goron wore confused faces as Symphony fell limp in the Goron's arms. "Eh, goro?"

"P-Put her down!!" Link commanded. The Goron simply dropped her. "Not like that!!" Link pulled Symphony into her arms. "S-Symphony!?" Her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"BY THE GODS!!" Link and the Goron shouted.

"I killed her, goro!!"

"What've you done?!" Link shouted. He searched frantically in his packs, then found a bottle of red potion. "Symphony you can't die now! We haven't even started our adventure!!" He forced the red liquid down her throat.

Symphony shot up, coughing hysterically. "Wh-What the h-hell?!" She looked up at Link.

Link let out a relieved sigh. "Thank the gods…" He smiled at the blue haired girl and held her hand. "You scared me."

Symphony just stared at him. "…" She squeezed his hand.


	6. Chapter 5: The Face of Evil

**Chapter 5: The Face of Evil**

"Geez, he wasn't kidding when he said that this place was burned out," Symphony noted as she jumped on the hardened lava.

"Well, at least we won't have to worry about falling into any lava," Link pointed out.

"True."

The two walked through the mines, sometimes stopping to observe their surroundings. Symphony led the two, secretly using her Sheikan ability of foresight, albeit weak, to make sure that they were safe. She didn't detect anything evil, so she just walked quite carelessly, jumping from bolder to bolder or sometimes teleporting several feet any from Link. Of course, Link was a bit upset with her lax behavior, but he didn't know that she had already scanned a room for threats the moment they walked in.

"Symphony," Link began as he noticed his partner disappear for the umpteenth time, "we have to stay together. It's obvious that whatever caused this place to burn out wasn't natural, but evil. The Gorons, and the mirror, are in here somewhere. We have to find them both."

"I know that," Symphony answered as she suddenly appeared behind Link.

Link spun around. "Then quit being juvenile. Keep your guard up!"

She suddenly disappeared. "Ha ha, Link, you're old before your time. I already know that this isn't natural and that the Gorons need our help _and_ we have to find the mirror. And my guard _is_ up!"

"But it's not safe to keep disappearing like that!" Link shouted as he looked around. "So come out already. He walked into a small room. "Hey, Symphony!" His cap suddenly came down in front of his eyes. "What the hell?!"

"Do you even know what I'm doing?! _I'm_ the one keeping us safe!" Symphony said as she appeared hanging upside from the ceiling, pushing Link's cap in his eyes.

Link quickly moved away and looked up. "H-How are you doing that?"

"It's a secret." She winked at him, then jumped down. "Listen, I've got everything under control."

"And just what do you mean by that, hmm?" He raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain?"

"Nope. That's also a secret." She continued on, leaving Link behind. "But if you _really_ want me to stay close, then I suppose I could." Her feet stopped moving.

"What now?"

She walked over to a huge bolder. "Hmm?" She touched it. "…Link!"

"What?" He ran over to her.

"There's something inside this bolder!"

"What do you mean?"

"I sense life." She caressed the bolder. "Yes. Inside." She turned to him. "Something's alive in there. Let's get it out."

"Alright-"

"You have bombs on you, right?" Symphony asked as she began to search Link.

"H-Hey!?"

"Here they are!" She pulled out a handful. "This should do it!"

"That's too many!!"

"Geez, will you take the stick out alre-"

They ignited.

"Holy hell!!" The young girl dropped the bombs as the fire quickly ate away at the string.

"Those are self-igniting you idiot!!" Link shouted.

"Why would you want to do that?!"

Link grabbed Symphony's hand. "Because they make what I do easier!!" He ran in the opposite direction, trying to find a good place to hide.

"We're gonna die!!"

Before they could get behind something, the bombs exploded, sending the two flying forward. "KYAHH!!"

Smoke filled the room and small rocks rained down. The two companions sat up, coughing.

"I-I guess that was too much…" Symphony whispered as she coughed into her hands.

"You think?" Link asked sarcastically as he rubbed his eyes.

"Goro?"

The two looked up as a Goron loomed over them. "Uh…"

"You saved me goro!" the Goron said happily.

"We did?"

"Yes! Please, you have to help me find my brothers!"

"We will, don't worry," Symphony said caringly. "You should go back though. It might not be safe in here…"

"Alright, goro." He started to walk away.

"Hey, wait," Link said as he held out his hand.

"Goro?"

"What happened?"

The Goron looked away, a tint of anger in his eyes. "Some black figure came to our home, demanding a mirror. I knew nothing of a mirror, but our patriarch and our elders did. They would not hand it over, so he attacked them. All of us managed to knock him back to the trail leading up here, but then he stopped fighting us. He then summoned a giant wall and used some sort of black magic against us. We had to retreat." He looked up. "Our patriarch, Darbus, thought that it would be a good idea to fight him in the mines since we knew the area well. And he thought that maybe we could knock him into the lava and get rid of him once and for all…But we were wrong. That black figure just dropped his sword into the lava and the whole place burned out. And using more black magic, he trapped us in stone…"

"Black…figure?" Symphony repeated. Things suddenly clicked. "Link!!"

"I know…it's _him_," Link growled.

"Please save everyone, goro."

"Right." The Goron rolled away. "Symphony, it seems that we're in for some trouble."

"Yes. I bet that dark foe is still in here, looking for the mirror."

"But what could he want with it?"

"I dunno, but we better find it before he does."

**XXXX**

Well, that's the last one," Symphony said as she wiped sweat from her brow. The final Goron rolled away, leaving Link and Symphony alone once again.

"Yeah, but we haven't found the mirror yet or that dark foe," Link sighed.

"We just have to keep looking. Darbus said that it was in one of the rooms up ahead, so we're getting close," Symphony said reassuringly. She ran to the door and teleported to the other side.

"Symphony!" Link quickly pushed the door open and ran into the room, angry to find Symphony starring at two more doors. "I thought we agreed that you wouldn't do that anymore! You know what we're up against in here!"

"There's nothing in here Link, besides, we're going to have to split up anyway, just look." She pointed to the two doors. "We'll cover more ground if we split up."

"But-"

"Remember what I said before Link? You're going to have to trust me if we're going to be traveling together."

"I know…but-"

She put both of her hands on his shoulders and looked up at him. "Link, you don't really know me or who I am, so don't underestimate my abilities. Just because I'm a girl doesn't make me weak. I've traveled to other lands many times by myself. I can hold my own against men like you. I'll be fine. You have to have some faith in my, okay?"

Link opened his mouth, but then shut it. He looked into her crimson eyes, then nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry."

"It's fine." She released him and stood in front of the door on the right. "Well then, let's just meet back here once we can't go any further, yeah?"

"Yeah."

She held out her fist and looked up at Link with a smile. He stared at her fist, then at her. A few thoughts crossed his mind, but then he smiled at her. He tapped her fist with his fist, and then they were off. Symphony teleported to the other side of her door and Link pushed his door opened.

**XXXX**

Symphony paused as she entered a new room. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "…Nothing." She pressed on, keeping her right hand on the handle of her ball and chain. "I wonder how Link's holding up…" She suddenly smiled. "I hope I find the mirror first so I can rub it in his nose how I, a mere sixteen year old girl, was able to claim such a rare and powerful object. She suddenly stopped. "Wait…the Mystic Mirror…If people with seer-like abilities touch it…then they can see just about everything. They'll be able to dispel magic barriers and they can find magical items. There's a lot more that it can do too…" _I better not touch it then…_ She thought.

She continued walking, but then suddenly made a face of disgust. "Stupid Zelda. I can't believe she only knew about one of the mirror's abilities. She's supposed to be the 'Princess of Hyrule' and the 'Princess of Destiny', but doesn't even know the entire legend." She glared. "Hylians never know the full truth. Leave it to a Sheikah to know more than them. We are the keepers of every legend after all…" Her demeanor changed. "…Yes…we were…"

"Reminiscing about the past again, eh Symphony?"

Symphony froze. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't even sense the presence of someone else in the room. She quickly looked around, grasping the handle of her mace tightly. Apparently, she had reached a dead end. The room was huge with five pillars in it. Something caught her eye. A handheld mirror on a dais was across from her on the other side of the room. A small gasp escaped her lips. "The mirror…" The thought of an enemy crossed her mind suddenly. Should she call out the enemy and fight him? Or should she run over to the mirror, grab it, then run like hell and hope that she'll run into Link? The latter choice seemed the best. "Ngh!" She ran forward as fast as she could, ready to grab the mirror then turn and run.

"Tsk tsk, I found it first."

Symphony came to a sliding halt as a sword met her neck. "Wh-What?" She hesitantly looked over at the person holding the sword. "By the gods!!" It was the dark foe! But that wasn't what surprised her. What surprised her was the fact that this foe looked _exactly_ like Link, expect for the fact that it was entirely black and it had crimson eyes.

"Surprise," he said with a smirk. He removed his sword from her neck. "Stay right there or I'll be forced to slice that lovely neck of yours and I _really_ don't want to do that." He turned to the mirror and picked it up. "I've been in this damn mine for a while looking for this thing, so you see why I can't let you have it." He turned back to her. "It's been a while, Symphony."

"Who the hell are you and how do you know my name?"

The Link copy sat down. "Why don't you sit? I'll allow it?" Symphony slowly got to her knees, never once taking her eyes off the copy. "Now what was your question again?"

"Who are you?"

"Isn't that obvious by now? I am _Link_."

"No, you can't be. Link's a good person!"

"Only because I'm not part of him anymore. I suppose you could call me his shadow, his dark side. But I was extracted from his soul long ago. The goddesses wanted their precious hero to be pure of heart. No a drop of corruption was permitted to touch his soul. But I was nothing more than a mere spirit. That is…until I met _my_ goddess."

"Your…goddess? There's…another?"

"More or less. But she gave me life. She knew what I was and where I came from. She created me in Link's image." He looked up and closed his eyes. "I am hatred; I am corruption; I am chaos; I am sadness; I am anger; I am darkness. Yes, I was born from all of the filth in the world. I am pure darkness." He smirked. "You can call me _Dark_."

Symphony's eyes were wide. She wanted to get away, but if this thing truly was Link's dark side, then he would kill her in an instant.

"Don't worry, I won't kill you if you try to run away. I'll just cut off one of your legs."

She froze. He read her thoughts?!

"Yes, I can read your thoughts. But it wouldn't be in my best interest to kill you. In fact, I would screw myself over if I did." He smirked. "Besides," he whispered in a seductive voice. "I love you Symphony."

"What?!" Her eyes darted down to her legs as the cold metal of the copy's black sword lifted her skirt up slowly. She pushed it away and scrambled backwards without taking her eyes off him. She _had_ to get away!

Dark stood up, then slapped the teen across the face. She let out a cry and fell backwards. The Link copy dropped down on top of Symphony. "I've always loved you. From the moment of your birth, I knew you would be the one. The one to _house great power_. And I love you for that. Your existence allows me to have love. That's why I can't kill you." His right hand traveled up her leg. "You have a great and noble purpose in life," he whispered hotly into her ear before clamping down on it and sucking the flesh.

Symphony turned her head. She had been in a few fights before against tough, burly men, but she had never been in a situation like this before. Tears stung her eyes. What was going on?! "P-Please, stop it!!" she screamed.

Dark harshly brought his left hand over her mouth. "Shh, please don't yell. I don't want this moment to be ruined." He let out a lovely sigh. "I would have had you much sooner, but that damn Link kept interfering." His blood red eyes met her crimson ones. "Why do you torture yourself by remembering the past? If you didn't think about it all the time, then you wouldn't suffer so much. And I _hate_ to see you suffer." He bit down on her exposed collarbone, then kissed his way up her neck. "I'm going to remove my hand, but you have to promise not to scream, okay?"

She didn't respond. Symphony's eyes were tightly shut, trying meaninglessly to keep the tears from falling. _Link, were are you?! Please save me! Link! Please!!_

"That's pointless," Dark sang. He replaced his hand with his mouth.

Symphony's eyes shot open. She had never been kissed before and this experience now was making it horrible for her. She pushed up against the Link copy, but he would not move.

Dark pushed up the young girl's skirt, then began to remove his belt. "Can't you see," he said between the kiss, "that I'm doing this out of _love_ for _you_?"

"GET OFF OF HER!!"

The Link copy quickly looked up and stared the tip of a sword right in the face. He jumped back away from the crying Symphony, his back pressed against the wall.

"Symphony!!" Link cried. He dropped to his knees and picked up his companion. "Symphony?" He tugged her skirt back down, but Symphony immediately pushed at his hands. "Symphony, it's me. It's Link."

"Please stop," she pleaded. "I don't want this."

Link's heart was hurting. "Symphony, I'm not going to hurt you. It's the _real_ Link."

She looked up at him, her tear stained face making Link emotional. "Please…Link…" She buried her face in his chest and cried loudly.

Link held her tightly, putting his head on top of hers. "Shh, Symphony, it's alright. I won't let him hurt you anymore."

She grabbed onto his tunic. "L-Link…he…"

"Shhh…" He was furious and sad at the same time. Symphony was just a girl, so young and naive. Now any intimate experience she would have in the future would be tainted. Link looked at his copy, his deep blue eyes suddenly becoming black with anger and hate. He stood up with Symphony still clinging to him.

"Please don't leave me…"

"Symphony, I'm going to take care of this guy. Just stay here." He pulled himself away from her and walked towards Dark. "I don't know who you are, you bastard, but I'm going to kill you for four reasons. One, you attacked the Gorons. Two, you tried to rape my friend. Three, you stole the Mystic Mirror. And four, I just don't like you."

"Now, now Link, is that any way a hero should talk?" Dark said sarcastically. "Maybe there's still some darkness left deep within your soul." He drew his sword. "You can't beat me. How about _I_ kill you instead and then I'll take Symphony for myself, hmm? Sound good?"

"No deal." They both charged forward and their swords met with sparks.

The two were pushing against their swords, trying to knock the other back. When that didn't work, they sprang apart and circled the room. Link waited for the copy to come at him, then blocked with his shield. He then stabbed the copy in the foot, but received a blow to the chest. They sprang apart once again, but not without getting blood on the ground first. Link held his chest and Dark didn't put his bleeding foot on the ground all the way.

Symphony watched the fight, still in shock. She fell to her knees and hugged herself. _I can't believe I let this happen. I was too naive. Too weak!! And now Link is in there fighting for me. There's no way he can beat Dark. Dark is pure darkness. How can you fight something that evil? And he knows all of Link's moves! Even if Link does manage to attack him, he'll only end up getting hurt as well! I have to…I have to do something…but…_ She looked down at her mace. _…I know Impaz said not to wake it up…but…if we wanna live, I'm gonna have to!_ She jumped to her feet. "I'm going to kill that son of a bitch for what he did to me!" She unhooked her mace from her sash and started swinging it. She sent the ball forward towards Dark

"Hmm?!" Dark kicked Link away from him and used his shield to block the oncoming mace.

"What're you doing?!" Link shouted.

"Helping you!!" Symphony shouted back.

"No! Just let me handle this!!"

"In your dreams!"

"Symphony, don't do this!" Dark shouted. "I don't want to kill you!"

"Shut the hell up!!" She disappeared, causing Dark to look around.

"Keep your eyes on your opponent!!" Link shouted as he ran forward and delivered a hit to Dark's chest.

"Ngh!" Dark jumped away and held up his shield. _Symphony is troublesome._

"I got you now!!" Symphony appeared above Dark and swung her mace forward.

Dark moved out of the way. "Stop it Symphony!" He grabbed the chain of the mace and wrapped it around his arm.

"What?!"

He pulled her forward.

"Symphony!!" Link shouted.

Symphony was pulled straight down onto Dark's sword. "AAAH!!"

"I didn't want to do this, but I'll take care of you when this is all over!" He pushed her off and turned his attention to Link. "You're next!" He suddenly disappeared.

"What the hell?!" Link looked around. "Where'd he go?!"

"Right here!" Dark shouted as he reappeared at Link's right and drove his sword into his side.

"GAH!!" Link quickly moved away, put fell on one knee. "Dammit…!"

"This ends now," Dark said as he approached Link.

Symphony shakily sat up. She had a hole right through her torso and was going to die if she didn't do anything. "H-High C-Cure T-Technique…" Her hand began to glow as she touched the wound. "Ngh…" It began to close. "C'mon…please…" It closed and she fell forward on her stomach. "Aaaah!" It still hurt to move. "G-Gotta…Gotta do something." She rubbed her hand in the pool of blood below her, then rubbed it on the chain of her mace. "I gotta wake him up…"

Symphony forced herself to her feet. "T-Tama…Tama wake up!!"

"HHRRAAGH!!"

Dark looked back at Symphony. "What?! How is that possible?!"

"Tama I need your help!!" Symphony cried. The mace suddenly opened up into four part, revealing eyes and a vicious mouth on each part.

"BLOOD!!"

"I'm your opponent now!!" Symphony shouted.

"Symphony…" Dark growled. "Fine. Then I'm going to have to teach you a lesson!" He turned away from Link and ran towards her.

"Tama attack!!"

"HRRRAAGH!!" The mace moved on its own towards Dark.

"That's not going to work!!" He put up his shield, but the mace clamped down on the shield and ripped it away from him. "What?!"

"Get him Tama!"

"RRRAAA!!"

"Dammit!!" Dark suddenly disappeared, but the mace didn't stop. This time it was headed for Link.

"What the hell is that?!" Link shouted.

"Tama stop! Not him!!" Symphony screamed. _I knew the risk when I awakened him, but I didn't think he'd be this wild. Tama has to have blood and he can't distinguish between friend and foe. I'll give him some of my blood and hopefully that will calm him a bit!_

"BLOOD!!"

Symphony grabbed the chain and pulled it back. "Tama stop!!" Her hand started to bleed the longer she held onto the chain.

"BLOOD!!"

"That's not a very good weapon!!" Dark appeared behind Symphony, ready to bring his sword down on her. "Tama defend!!"

"RRRAAA!!" The mace quickly moved behind Symphony and clamped down on Dark's sword.

"Not again!!" Dark pulled his sword away and jumped in front of Symphony.

"Tama attack!!" The mace flew over Symphony's head and was coming towards Dark again.

Dark moved out of the way and grabbed the chain once more. "I'm telling you, this weapon is a piece of-AAAAHH!!" A huge gash was suddenly ripped in Dark's hand.

"BLOOD!!"

"If you touch Tama's chain you'll get hurt!" Symphony said deviously. "Get him Tama!" This time, the mace clamped down on Dark's left arm, causing him to drop his sword.

"AAAAAHHH!!"

"HHHRRRAAAGGGHH!!"

"Tama!! Rip off his arm!!"

The teeth of the mace sunk deeper into Dark's arm, making his scream louder. "You're not…GETTING MY ARM!" His right hand began to glow with a red light. "Die!!" The red light wrapped around the chain and moved towards Symphony.

"T-Tama!!" The red light touched Symphony's hand and shocked her, causing the mace to disable and return to its dormant state. "KYAHHH!" She fell to the ground.

"Don't you see?!" Dark yelled as he clutched his bleeding left arm. "You can't win!!"

Link suddenly body slammed into Dark from behind, making the mirror flow out of his possession. "You forgot about me!!"

Dark found his footing and managed to come to a stop. He grabbed Link's arm and threw his over his should, right into a pillar. "When will you two give up!?" He bent down and picked up the mirror.

"Never!" Symphony shouted and she got to her feet. She swung her mace forward, but it hit the mirror. "Oh shit!!"

A white light filled the room.

**XXXX**

"_Hey."_

"_Hey!"_

"_Can you hear me?"_

"_Wake up!"_

Symphony slowly opened her eyes. "H-Huh?" Link hovered above her. "Gimme some space!!" She shoved him away and sat up. "What happened?"

"You broke the mirror."

"What?!" Symphony frantically looked around. "Where's Dark?!"

"I'm guessing he left after the mirror broke. And I think he took the other pieces with him," Link answered.

"No…No! That can't be!" Something suddenly crossed her mind. "Wait, what do you mean by 'other' pieces?"

"I have one." Link said as he held up the small shard.

Symphony stared at the ground. "…Dammit."

"Do you want to look at it?" He held it out.

She stared at the diamond. "…I'd rather not."

"Why not?"

"You wouldn't understand." She looked at his bloody and bruised face. "You look like shit."

"So do you," he said with a smile.

She sighed, then held out her hand. "Let me treat your wounds. We'll go back down to Kakariko and go to my place. We can plan out our next move there."

"Right," Link said as he placed his hand in Symphony's hand.


	7. Chapter 6: Santino

**Chapter 6: Santino**

"So in the end, after he left, everything went back to normal…" Darbus said, almost in a whisper.

"Yes," Link answered. The Goron Patriarch seemed to mull this over.

"If this is true, then that wall should be gone," Symphony added.

"I think this is the case," Darbus said. He turned away for a moment. "What could an evil being what with something like the Mystic Mirror?"

"That artifact has amazing powers," Symphony responded. "It can dispel magical barriers, show someone where other magical items are, and it has the power to awaken dormant spirits. And those are just a few of its powers."

"But what is he going to use it for?" Link asked.

"I dunno."

Darbus turned back to them. "In any case, you need to find a way to gather the pieces and somehow put it back together…"

"I heard that Gorons are excellent at forging things and whatnot," Symphony began, "so if we should manage to get the pieces back, can we bring them to you, can't we? And then you can fix it, right?"

"Aaah, there is a dilemma in your assumption, little female."

"Don't call me that," Symphony said in an angry whisper.

"It is true that we can forge things, but you see, we _can't_ recreate magical items like that. We don't have the necessary materials."

"Don't tell me…"

"Materials? Like what?" Link asked, looking from Darbus to Symphony.

"You need ether, don't you?" Symphony said with a sigh.

"You're a sharp one, little female!"

"Hey, what did I-"

"That's exactly what we need."

"Dammit…" Symphony whispered, rubbing her temples. "This complicates things."

"What's ether?" Link asked Symphony.

"It's a very powerful enchanted element that can be found in items such as the Mystic Mirror. It's what gives things that "magic-like" quality. It's said that the gods gave people ether so that they could make the gods weapons and accessories and such."

"So what's the problem?"

"Link, ether hasn't been used in hundreds of years. There's no more."

"What?!"

"Yep." She turned her gaze to the ground. _But…_ "…I'll figure something out."

"Oh really?" Darbus asked. She looked up at him, her look harsh. "Wait…are you a…?"

"Link, we should go now," Symphony said casually as she turned and headed to the door.

"Um, okay." Link turned to Darbus. "Thank you."

"Hey wait!" Darbus said.

"What, hmm?" Symphony asked.

"I'm sure my people would like to thank you two with a _big Goron hug_!" Symphony was gone. Darbus hadn't even finished the sentence before she bolted out of there as fast as she could. "Eh? Did I say something wrong?" Darbus closed his eyes and shrugged. "What about you Link? Would you like a Goron hug?" He opened his eyes when he felt a small breeze. "Hmm? Link? Where's you go brother?"

Link chased after Symphony. "Hey Symphony, wait up!"

Symphony came to a stop and turned around. "Come on!"

Link caught up to her. "Well you took off first." He took a deep breathe. "So, what now?" he asked as they headed down the trail towards Kakariko Village.

"I'm not sure yet…" Symphony shot him a playful look. "You're the man, you think of something."

"What does gender have anything to do with this?"

"Plenty," she shot back.

"I don't think so…" Link took out the shard of the Mystic Mirror from one of his pouches. "I have no idea how we're supposed to find the others pieces. I have no idea where Dark went either…!" He suddenly paused to think about his dark self. So that really was his dark side, wasn't it? And his dark side tried to hurt Symphony. Disgust and anger quickly overcame him. That dark version of him was still _part_ of him. In a sense, he felt as if he also attacked Symphony. His hairs started to stand on end in rage.

"Link?" Symphony asked as she turned around. "What's wrong? You okay?"

"Symphony…" he shakily began. "That…That Dark guy…do you…do you hate me?"

"What?"

It happened so fast. A young man with messy brown hair with blood red streaks in it appeared right above Link. He swung out his leg, kicking the blonde in the face and causing a shriek to come from Symphony. The young man snatched the shard out of Link's hand and disappeared.

"Link!!" Symphony shouted as she held him up.

"I'm sure something like this is worth a lot!" came a voice. The young man suddenly appeared standing on a huge rock. "Thanks."

"Give that back!!" Symphony yelled.

"No way sweetness."

"Just who do you think you are?!"

"Why the _Handsome Master Thief of Hyrule_ of course!" He let out a devious laugh.

"Symphony, stay back," Link said as he drew his sword.

"You really think you can fight me with that?" He suddenly appeared in front of Link. "Go ahead and try then." Link swung his sword, but the thief disappeared again. "You'll have to do better than that!!"

"I got this bastard!" Symphony shouted as she vanished and reappeared next to the man.

"What the hell?!"

Symphony pulled out a hidden dagger tucked into her sash and thrust it forward, but the man blocked with his own bizarre looking weapons. The two suddenly disappeared, then reappeared not to far from Link, their weapons clashing. They sprang apart and vanished once more. Link frantically looked around, but turned his sights upwards when a shadow appeared on the ground. Symphony seemed to be floating upside down in mid air when the young man reappeared. She spun around quickly, sending small needles everywhere. The young man blocked some of the needles with his two handheld weapons, but disappeared when the barrage became too much. Symphony also disappeared. No one came back into sight.

"Where'd they go?!" Link shouted. He looked everywhere, but they still did not emerge.

"THIS ENDS HERE!!" The two reappeared directly in front of each other and threw out a powerful punch. Unfortunately, they caught one another's blow. "Dammit!" They suddenly froze.

"That mark on your shirt…" Symphony whispered.

"And on your sash…" The young whispered as well.

_That disturbing red eye._

They released each other and just stared. "You…" Symphony began.

"What's going on?!" Link exclaimed as he ran over to them. "Symphony?" He turned to the other man.

The young man sighed, then handed Link the shard. "Here. I can't take this. Not from _her_." He started down the trail to the village.

"Wait!!" Symphony shouted. The young man turned back to her. "…Santino…"

He blinked with his visible eye. "How did…?" He took a few steps forward. "S…Symphony?"

Link just kept look back and forth between the two.

"SANTINO!!" Symphony yelled as she ran toward him, tears running down her cheeks. She ran straight into his arms, the sensation of cold metal from his golden gauntlets tickling her skin as he held her.

The young man, Santino, just blinked. "But…"

"Teme!" Symphony shouted. "Baka!" She began to hit him in the chest. "How could you?!"

"Gomen," he whispered into her ear. "I didn't mean to…"

Link just watched the two, confused. "What's going on?" He walked closer.

"Shh, please don't cry anymore," Santino said kindly. "You're ruining my style. It's not like me to care so much about anyone."

"Santino…you've changed…" Symphony hiccupped.

"Hey, c'mon…stop…" He put his thumb under her chin and pushed her head up, they crimson eyes meeting. "Remember that song? Ano umi dokomademo aokatta tokumade…"

"Ano michi dokomademo tsuzuiteta massuguni…" Symphony sang in a hushed voice. "Ichiban hayaku sunaoni waratta monotachi…"

"…Ichiban sukina anohito waratteru…" Santino said. "Remember?"

Symphony blinked, then smiled. "Yes…"

"Okay, so enough of this mushy stuff, okay?" He released her.

"Hai," she said, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

"So, do you two…know each other?" Link finally asked.

"Oh!" Symphony squealed. "Yes! Link this is Santino!" The two men nodded to each other.

"So are you like family or something? I mean, you both have those eyes tattoos even though he has a red curly looking one. And you both have red eyes. _And_ you both have that same red eye mark."

"Well, something like that," Symphony said slyly.

"I'm her cousin," Santino answered.

"Hey!!" Symphony shouted. "It might have been eleven year, but I still remember how you used to be! We're not that much related!!" She turned to Link and waved her hand. "Actually, we're very distant relatives, but we hardly have the same blood in us, so you can't really call us cousins."

"And it's a good thing too," Santino said, his smirk hidden behind the mask that covered the bottom half of his face. "Cuz you know Symphony, you've gotten a lot sexier since the last time we saw each other."

"Santino!!" she screamed as she punched him in the gut. Link had a look of surprise. "How dare you!"

"B-But it's true," Santino said, recovering from the blow. "I remember when people couldn't tell if you were a boy or a girl. Your figure has really-"

"SANTINO!!" This time she punched him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground. "Now I remember how much I hated you!!"

"Oh come on, no you didn't! What kind of reunion is this?" He unsteadily got to his feet.

"Wow…" Link managed to say.

Santino suddenly became serious. "Excuse us." He pulled Symphony aside and began to whisper. "So what's with the Hylia. Never in a million years would I have suspected you to be with one."

"It's not what you think. I got dragged into this whole mess and he owes me money and stuff. And I think the world's in danger."

Santino just stared dully at her. "Yeah, right, whatever."

"It's true!"

He stretched. "Well, it's been fun seeing you again Symphony, but I have a job to do. People's most valuable possessions don't steal themselves." He started to head down the trail again.

"Wait!" Symphony called out. Link walked to her side.

"What?" Santino asked as he turned half way to her.

"…Come with us!"

"What?!"

"Please!" Symphony begged.

"I don't…really wanna…"

"Hey, if you guys are family and if you haven't seen each other, don't you think that you should stick together for a while?" Link put in.

"No one asked for you opinion," Santino shot back.

"But Santino-kun-"

"Save it Symphony. I don't wanna hear anymore. I'm a lone thief. I have nothing to gain by following you guys."

"That's not the point Santino!" Symphony pleaded. "Please, I just want to be with-"

"Sorry, but I don't feel like teaming up with you guys, not even with you Symphony. I won't steal from you, but I don't want to come with you. I have my own shit to do."

"But I don't want to be alone anymore Santino!"

"You'll get used to it eventually, like I did."

"But I-"

He was gone.

"Santino!!" Symphony screamed. "Santino!! Please don't leave me!! Not like this!! I thought…" She looked down. "I thought I wasn't going to be…alone anymore…I thought…I finally found someone like…me…" She fell to her knees and began to cry again.

"Symphony…" Link whispered as he got down next to her and held her. "It's okay. The important thing is that you found him. I'm sure you'll meet again one day."

_**IIII**_

"_**Santino…"**_

"_**I thought…"**_

"…_**I thought that you were…"**_

"…_**dead…"**_

"…_**Just like mom and dad…"**_

"…_**Just like everyone…"**_

"…_**Why did you leave me?"**_

"_**Please…Santino…"**_

"_**I don't want to be alone in the world anymore…"**_

_**IIII**_

**--**

A/N: Okay, I just want to say thank you for the reviews, even though only two people reviewed this piece. I'm not upset by the number of reviews or reviewers, I'm just glad that at least two people find this story interesting. If a couple of people like this story, then that makes me happy. Someone is better than no one. I want to give a special thanks to Angel who stuck with this fic since the beginning and gave me such kind and encouraging words.

Anyways, I do have art of my characters. And I think you guys need to see Santino's weapons for yourself. They're really hard to describe. All I can say is that they're sharp and pointy, heh. You can go to h t t p : / tsukichan (dot) sheezyart (dot) com to view the art. Of course, make sure you type it into the browser without the spaces and the whole "(dot)" thing, okay? Okay! Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!


	8. Chapter 7: Pain

**Chapter 7: Pain**

Symphony rubbed a little more salve on a deep wound on Link's back that would not heal with magic. She sighed and pushed some hair out of her eyes. "Okay, turn around."

Link, sitting on a stool, did as he was told. This allowed Symphony access to his well-defined chest, but she did not blush or falter. "That was nice of Renado to let me borrow some clothes," he said as he pulled on the trousers he was wearing.

"Well, you were going to have to get some clothes from somewhere while I patched up _your_ clothes," Symphony responded, concentrating on correctly applying to salve to another deep wound. She herself was wearing a black cotton robe that went down to her knees. It was held in place with a white sash.

"But what about the blood stains?"

"Don't worry. I can get those out too. I have some very good soap." She stood back. "There. Those bad cuts should heal in no time." She put the lid on the jar of ointment and cleaned her hands on a towel. "Let me get some bandages." She walked over to a small cabinet on the wall and pulled out a roll of gauze.

"Is that really necessary?" Link asked.

"Do you want to get an infection?" Symphony questioned sarcastically. Link's torso was wrapped tightly in no time. "Okay, done. Just leave your shirt off for a while. You can put it back on before you go to bed**."**

Link stood up and stretched. "Hmm, I guess traveling with a medicine woman is a good thing. I don't have to pay for any treatments."

Symphony sat down at the table, resting her chin on her hands. "Who said you didn't have to pay?" Link gave her a frustrated look, making her smile. She let out a tired sigh as she looked around her home. It was a comfortable home. The kitchen and den were separated by an invisible line on the wooden floor. There was a set of stairs leading to a bathroom and two bedrooms on the second floor. Yes, a comfortable home indeed.

Link walked over to the window and looked out at the darkening Kakariko. "So that wall is gone and Death Mountain is back to normal…"

"Now what?" Symphony asked. "We need to come up with a plan."

"I know what we need to do. We have to find the other shards of the mirror…" He moved away from the window and walked back to the table to sit with the blue haired girl. "The only problem is I don't know how we should go about looking for them."

"Well I could…" She suddenly bit her lower lip. _Should I just say it? It might be useful…but…_

"You could what?"

"Oh never mind."

"No, tell me. I'm willing to listen to any suggestion that might help."

"It's nothing."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Symphony got up from the table and headed over to the stairs. "It's getting late…" And then she went up.

"Hmm?" Link followed her, still curious about her remarks. "Symphony…" He caught a glimpse of her back as she turned into one of the rooms. "Hey…?" His feet took him into the room.

Symphony smoothed out the sheets on the bed and fluffed up the pillow. "You'll sleep here." She turned to him. "After everything that happened today, you should really get some sleep."

"Yeah…" Link's eyes trailed to the floor, recalling the earlier events. "Symphony…" he began slowly, "that guy…Santino…"

Her expression changed into a look of annoyance. "What?" she asked in a huff, putting her hands on her hips.

"What was…What was that language you were speaking with him? I've never heard it before…"

"Doesn't matter," she quickly answered as she held up one of her hands. "Look, I'm going to bed. I'm really worn out." She headed over to the door.

"Symphony."

"What?" She didn't turn to him.

"…I don't know anything about you."

Silence.

"…It's better that way…" She was gone.

Link sat on the bed, a little aggravated with his female companion. He did not want to travel with someone he knew nothing about. He did not know what she was capable of. Worst of all, he could sense pain that Symphony was trying to hide. Link was usually good at figuring out if something was bothering someone, and he knew that this teen was deeply troubled. And he knew she did not trust him. She expected him to trust her, but she did not trust _him_. Even though they had spent just about four days with each other, and even though they seemed to get along, he knew that it was all a lie. They got along on the surface, but they didn't have a bond. Nothing held them together. She was not obligated to watch his back, but he was obligated to watch hers. He was the Hero of Legend, a descendant of the legendary Hero of Time. He held a piece of the Triforce. He was a hero with unimaginable courage. It was his duty to protect others. He was the savior of the world, their salvation. As long as Symphony was with him, he had to protect her.

Link let out an upset sigh.

He did not want to continue traveling with Symphony if they were going to remain strangers.

**XXXX**

Symphony lay awake in her bed. She stared up at the ceiling. Her home was cloaked in darkness, as was the rest of the outside world. It had to be the middle of the night and she just could _not_ sleep. So many things whirled around in her head, keeping her awake. She was thinking about Link and how he said he knew nothing about her. She was thinking about her response to him. An irritated growl escaped her lips.

The sheets came flying off as she rolled out of the bed, her nightgown twirling in the slight breeze. She ripped open her dresser, found a pair of leather gloves, and pulled them on. Her bare feet pattered on the wooden floor as she traveled down the hall to Link's room. She peeked in, making sure the blonde was asleep. He was.

"Okay."

Symphony made her way down the stairs and found Link's equipment. She glanced at her gloves then reached into one of Link's pouches. "If Santino could hold it with those gauntlets, then I should be able to hold with these gloves without anything happening." Something sharp pressed against her hand and she grasped it. Her hand came back out as she held the shard of the Mystic Mirror in her hand. "…I was right." Her eyes turned to the stairs, thinking of Link. "…" She walked over to the door.

"Where are you going with that?"

Symphony spun around to see Link standing at the bottom of the stairs. "L…Link…"

"Symphony, what're you doing?" He had a worried look on his face.

She bit her lower lip. "You…You don't know what you're dealing with!!" she shouted.

Link blinked, shocked by her outburst. "Wh-What?"

"You won't be able to find anything! You don't know how to use this!" She was frustrated.

"Symphony just calm down. Why are you so upset all of a sudden?"

_So many things whirled around her head. So many memories. So much pain._

"You're not capable of finding anything!" She wanted to cry. She didn't know what she was saying, and she didn't know why she was mad. But the memories. They wouldn't go away. Just looking at him infuriated her.

_She snapped._

Symphony ran out of her home with Link yelling after her. What was she doing?! Where was she going?! She heard Link burst out of her home, still yelling. She couldn't turn back now. She ran out of Kakariko and ran across the field of Hyrule. Where was she going? Confusion suddenly overcame her. She was disoriented and she felt sick to her stomach. Her feet wouldn't go anymore and she just collapsed under a tree.

"Symphony!!"

She turned her head to see Link riding Epona. "No…Leave me alone…"

"Symphony, where are you?!"

"Leave me alone!!" Symphony screamed. She forced herself to her feet and continued running.

"Symphony, stop!!" Link pushed Epona to full speed and came up right behind Symphony. "Stop this!" he yelled as he reached down and grabbed her arm.

"No!" She suddenly disappeared.

"Dammit!!" He pulled Epona to a stop. "Where is she going?!" He looked around, frantically scanning the area. His eyes suddenly caught her white nightgown. She was running towards Lake Hylia. "Let's go Epona!" He rode after her, worried that something might happen to her. "Why is she doing this? What's wrong with her?"

Over the past year, Zelda had authorized the construction of a grand staircase that would give people easy access to Lake Hylia so that the Fyer business would not monopolize the only route to and from the great lake. Symphony had made use of the new stairs.

"Faster Epona!" Link shouted and the horse began her descent down the great stairs.

Symphony came to a stop when she ran out of land and met the water. She turned around to see Link coming right towards her. She was utterly bewildered. It was as if she was going crazy. Her memories would not leave her alone, making her relive her greatest nightmare.

"There's no where to go Symphony! Just please stop!" Link shouted as he came closer.

Symphony bit her lower lip, then ran out towards the water, running right on top of it.

Link pulled Epona to a stop, stunned beyond reason at Symphony's actions. "Whoa girl!" Epona stopped and snorted loudly. Link jumped down and just stared at Symphony.

Once a safe distance, Symphony turned to Link, angry and sad at the same time. "Go away!!"

"Why are you doing this?!" Link shouted. "Symphony, I'm not trying to hurt you!"

Tears welled up in her eyes. "I don't believe you!! All of you Hylians are the same!!"

"What are you talking about!!"

She clutched the shard tightly. "All you do is kill!! Just like you killed my people!!"

Link froze. "What?"

"You Hylians took everything from me! You took my friends! You took my family!! You took my _life_!!" She fell to her knees, but still remained on top of the water.

"Symphony!" Link chocked out, "I-I don't know what you're talking about, but I swear on my life that I would never hurt you!"

"I don't believe you!!"

"Symphony, when you were abducted by Dark, I was the one that saved you! And I took care of you! And after that I protected you from him as we rode through the Eldin Province! And I saved you when Dark wanted to violate you! I _would never hurt you_!!"

"You just don't get it Link!!"

Link grasped the front of his shirt. "If you hate me that much, then why did you help me all those times?! Why did you keep me from dying?!"

Symphony stopped. "I…"

"Deep down inside, you know that I wouldn't hurt you, don't you? You know that I'm a good person, right? You've felt it all along. That's why you saved me. I don't believe that you hate me. If you hated me that much, you would have let me die!"

Her lower lip quivered. "I…"

"Symphony, please, stop this."

"Link…"

"Just let me in. Maybe I can help you."

She stared at him.

**XXXX**

"…It happened in the summer time, eleven years ago," Symphony whispered. "I remember it so clearly." She grasped her nightgown tightly. "The Hylian army invaded the Hidden Village of the Sheikah and slaughtered everyone. I watched my parents die before my eyes…" She looked up at the night sky. "Santino came then. He pulled me out of my burning home and saved me from my own death. But we got separated once we came to the Laynaru Province. Hylian soldiers had been chasing us and Santino sacrificed himself to save me. I'm not sure how he escaped, but I'm positive that it wasn't through the teleportation technique. The Hylians had some sort of magic restraint that prevented us from using any of our magical abilities. But that didn't matter to me. I was the only one in our tribe that couldn't use any of our abilities. I always failed at them. Santino helped me practice, but I just couldn't grasp the fundamentals. Anyway, I ran to the Lanayru Bridge, but the soldiers had surrounded me. I didn't want to get captured by those pigs, so I did the only thing I could. I jumped off the bridge…" She pulled her knees up to her chest.

Link's eyes were wide. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Hylians, the people that he shared blood with, wiped out Symphony's tribe. "But…how did…"

"I don't know how I survived, but the next morning, a group of Zora soldiers found me and brought me to the Castle Town. And that's when Telma took me in. You see, Telma is like me. She is a Sheikah."

"She…She is?"

"Yes. I know that some Sheikahs were able to escape the massacre, but I don't know where they are. But I do know that they no longer live in this land. Only _four_ pure Sheikah reside in the land of Hyrule: Telma, Fanadi the fourtune teller in Castle Town, Sanitno, wherever he might be, and myself. There are some half-blooded Shiekahs in Hyrule, but they are also tainted with Hylian blood. They could never live among _real_ Sheikah. They would be put to death after what we went through…"

"Symphony…I had no idea that…"

"It's okay. After the massacre, the King of Hyrule blue-penciled the history of the Sheikahs, virtually wiping them from history. No one remembers us. That's why I can walk freely amongst Hylians. But I know that when we met with Princess Zelda, she knew who I was."

"Did he…"

"Yes, he was the one that authorized the extermination of my people." She glared at the lake's clear water. "I hate Hylians with every fiber of my being. All of them. I have no respect for them. The Hylians betrayed my people once before, hundreds of years ago, which spawned the teardrop in our symbolic eye. We were good to them. We were the official protectors of the Royal Family. I just can't believe they had the audacity to betray us once more…" A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"But…Symphony, not all Hylians are bad."

"I'm sorry Link, but I'm not going to change my opinion of them. I have respect for the mighty Gorons and the elegant Zoras, but not for the revolting Hylians."

"But Symphony, I-"

"Fine, you are the only exception, but you can't convince me that there are some good Hylians. My feelings will not change."

"But can't you give them a chance?"

"No. I'm willing to play doctor and cure them, but I'm only in it for the money, not because I care. I have too much pain in my heart to care for a Hylian."

"Even me?"

The two turned to each other, their eyes meeting. Symphony gazed into Link's deep sapphire eyes as Link gazed back into her dark crimson ones. Link managed to smile, making Symphony frown. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. Symphony inwardly gasped as a small blush colored her pale cheeks. They sat quietly on the stairs for a moment while Epona stood sleeping in the grass.

"Why don't you tell me about Sheikahs? I'm not quite clear about what you are."

Symphony blinked. She was confused again, but this time, she wasn't full of rage. She sighed, mentally calling Link hopeless. "Alright, pay attention this time around you idiot. Sheikahs, or Shadow People, are magical beings. We used to make use of our magic to protect those of the Royal Family. We also had a special unit in the Hylian army dedicated to assassinations. Yes, we were that awesome. We can even manipulate shadows like this…" She placed her hand over Link's shadow and held it there for a moment. After a few seconds, three needles emerged from the shadow. "There. This is the technique called _Kage Senbon_."

"Kah-gay sen-bawn?" Link repeated.

"It's Sheikah for Shadow Needles." The needles suddenly disappeared. "Anyway, we were the keepers of all history documents and legends. It was a requirement that children of my tribe learned the minimum of sixty legends and knew the history leading up to the birth of the Hero of Time before they were considered ready to learn battle techniques."

"That much?"

"Yes."

"Did you learn all of that?"

"Of course. We started off learning Sheikah unarmed combat, called Martial Arts, before we could move onto Sheikan Arts, then Magical Arts."

"Martial Arts?"

"It's a forgotten skill that we used to teach to the Hylian soldiers."

"Do you know it?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact, I was one of the best, second only to Santino who was _the_ best in our clan. A regular child prodigy." She made a face. "But he was such an idiot and he still is I bet." She sighed tiredly. "Long story short, the Hylians wiped two-thirds of us out, erased our existence from history, and forced Impaz to stay there until the 'Hero' came." She looked up again. "I can't believe that they tried to kill us all of when they know that the great _Impa_ was a Sheikah as well…"

"Impa? Who's that?"

"A long, long time ago, she was the Sage of Shadow and helped the Hero of Time defeat the King of Evil."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm supposedly a descendant of hers, but I seriously doubt that. I don't even come close to her. I barely discovered some of my Sheikan techniques a few days ago." She groaned loudly. "Okay, okay, enough of this crappy history lesson. You're too close!" She shoved Link away and stood up. "Look, Sheikahs have seer-like powers and I could probably use that shard of the Mystic Mirror to find the other pieces."

"Really?"

"Stop saying that." Symphony stretched. "Listen Link, you're a Hylian and, like I said, I'm not about to change the way I feel about them. I'll be honest, I'm not so sure about you, despite everything, but I'm willing to make a deal with you."

"What is it?" Link stood up as well.

"If you can prove to me that you have my best interest at heart, then maybe I can learn to like you."

"What?"

"You already have some points on the scoreboard, so just keep it up. I really want to be able to trust you, but my memories just won't let me." She held out her fist. "Prove my assumptions about you wrong."

Link blinked. He wanted to say something, but just smiled. He tapped her fist with his. "I will," he finally said.

"Now get your horse and let's go. It's time I put my Sheikah abilities to work."

"Right." Link walked over to Epona. "Sorry girl, but you need to wake up." Epona snorted in frustration. "If we get back fast, then you can sleep all you want." She neighed, liking the idea. "Good girl." He got on her and held his hand out to Symphony. "Come on."

Symphony couldn't help but smirk. "Yeah." She took Link's hand and he pulled her up.

Link nudged Epona in the sides and the horse raced off, wanting to sleep as soon as possible.

Symphony yawned and made her grip on Link's waist tighter. "I hope you're as good as you claim to be…I…really…" She yawned again, the sound of Epona's feet hitting the ground lulling her to sleep. "…Really…you…" She buried her face into Link's back.

Link smiled warmly. "I won't let you down Symphony. I'll show you what kind of person I am and how much I care about you…"

--

A/N: Okay, just wanted to clear some things up. I've read on a few websites that Telma might be a Gerudo, but for the purpose of this story, I'm making her a Sheikah. Besides, when I first played TP I honestly thought that she could be a Sheikah. And I also think that Fanadi (you know, that lady that tells you where every heart piece is in the game) is a Sheikah as well. I'm not claiming this as fact or anything, but that's just my opinion. Also, I think that if the Sheikahs had their own language, it would be Japanese because they're like ninjas, but like I said, that's just me. Oh, and one more thing, the song that Santino and Symphony partly sang in the last chapter was _Aozora_ by Lia. It's one of the Air TV songs. Air TV is an amazing anime but I haven't seen the movie, played the game, or read the novel/ manga. Listening to the Air TV songs helps me get inspiration for this story. So maybe you could go listen to some of the songs like _Tori no Uta_ or _Farewell Song_. Lia's voice is beautiful.

Anyways, thanks for reading! I appreciate everyone's nice reviews!


	9. Chapter 8: Strategy

**Chapter 8: Strategy**

Link sluggishly walked to his room and collapsed on the bed. After he had brought Symphony back to Kakariko, he discovered that she fallen asleep even though she was the one who said to hurry back so she could do something. He had to carry her into her home and gently place her in her bed so she wouldn't wake up. Now he was very tired and just wanted to sleep, like poor Epona.

"Well, in the morning," Link yawned, "I'll get to see what Symphony can do…" And with that, he kicked off his shoes and rolled under the covers, looking forward to a peaceful sleep.

**XXXX**

"OW!!"

Link shot up in his bed and looked around. A little stream of sunlight trickled into the room through the crack in the curtain. He got up and threw it open, revealing a beautiful morning in Kakariko.

"Dammit!! You piece of-GAAH!"

"Symphony!" Link shouted. He ran out of the room and quickly descended the stairs. "Symphony, are you-" He paused.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!!" Symphony, once again wearing her black robe, held her hand as she stood over the stove. "Dammit!" She held herself and this time, quickly grabbed the skillet and moved it over to the counter.

"What's going on?" Link asked as he came closer.

Symphony quickly turned to him and blushed. "Wh-What?!"

"Are you…making breakfast?" Link asked curiously.

"Shut up will ya!" she shouted back.

"I didn't know you could cook-"

"I said shut up!" She picked up a cup at threw it at Link. It was easy for him to dodge it, but the item smashed against the wall. "Shit! Clean it up!"

"But I wasn't the one who-"

"Clean it up!" She threw a plate this time, but he caught it.

"Geez, what did I do to-" He didn't dodge the second cup.

**XXXX**

"Cry baby," Symphony muttered as she watched Link rub the bandage on him head. She picked up her cup of juice and drank some. "Needs alcohol…"

"What did you say?" Link asked as he looked up from him plate.

"Nothing," Symphony sang. The two continued their breakfast in silence.

"So," Link began as she pushed his plate aside, "do you always have so much chaos in the morning?"

"Watch it," Symphony growled as she cleared the table.

"I'm just asking, no need to get mad." He stretched. "But it was good, thank you."

"Yeah, yeah," Symphony said lethargically as she began to wash the dishes.

"So, what was it that you were going to do with that shard of the Mystic Mirror, hmm?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that." She dried her hands and walked over to the table. "Go get it."

Link rolled his eyes at her bossy attitude, moved over to the pouch with the shard in it, and removed it. "Here."

"Wait, wait, don't give it to me yet!" Symphony hissed as she held her hands up.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Link responded.

Symphony sat down and took a deep breath. "Okay, on three…"

Link sat down as well, a little nervous. "Okay…"

"One…"

They extended their arms to one another.

"Two…"

Link loosed his grip on the shard. They both held their breath.

"Three!!"

Symphony grabbed the shard and suddenly let out a pained cry as a sharp stinging sensation shot through her arm, up her spine, and into her brain. "NGH!" She shut her eyes, trying to get used to the feeling. She had never used her psychic powers and therefore, the pain was intense. If someone like Zelda were to touch the shard, they would just feel a tingling sensation and it would be over in seconds.

"Symphony!" Link shouted. "Are you alright?!"

"A-Ack!!"

"Here! Just give it back to me!" Link grabbed the shard, but it would not budge from her hands, as if glued. "Dammit!"

Symphony's eyes shot open and her pupils became small. She looked at Link. It looked like he was shouting something, but she couldn't hear him. She couldn't hear anything! Everything was getting fuzzy and seemed to be going in slow motion. She then looked down at the shard. An image was visible on it. She moved it closer to her face and gazed into it. It was displaying a bag. _Those must be the other shards!_ She began to think about the history of the mirror. _Okay, the mirror can be used to send and retrieve things, right? Right. But this is just a shard of the mirror. So that must be it can only do one or the other, but which one? Can it send, or retrieve? There's only one way to find out…_ She watched the mirror longer as it began to zoom out from the bag. Now she saw everything clearly. Dark was there, his back turned to the bag, and he was rinsing blood from his sword. The image panned over to the right a bit, revealing a dead body. _That bastard, what is he up to?_ She watched him a bit longer. He was so engrossed in cleaning his blade. _If I'm going to test this thing out, now's my chance._

Symphony quickly glanced at Link who had stopped yelling apparently and was now watching her intently, a hint of apprehension in his eyes. She lifted her right hand and pushed her finger against the shard. It was instantly absorbed through, so she tried to fit her arm through it. It was a tight squeeze, but it was working! Link's jaw dropped as he began to say something, but Symphony couldn't hear him. _Sorry Link, but you should just shut up now._ Symphony concentrated hard on the mirror. Something suddenly came into view of the mirror. She wasn't sure what it was, but she figured it was her arm. It was a made of sharp crystals and had, what appeared to be, fingers and a thumb. She winced as her arm began to hurt. The space was too small and it seemed that at any moment she would-

_Too late._

Blood began to drip down onto the table, which made Link move his mouth in a shouting motion again. But Symphony couldn't stop now. The crystal like arm moved towards the bag, but what Symphony didn't realize was that Dark had disappeared. _Almost got it…_The view of the shard suddenly moved up, exposing Dark bringing his sword down on the crystal arm. _Shit! How'd he know?!_ Symphony quickly jumped up from the table and held the shard up, making the crystal arm shoot up towards Dark. She caught his sword, but he forced the blade onto the palm of the crystal hand. The crystal began to crack as the blood slowly changed from a drip to a small leak. _But that's impossible!_ She released the blade and backhanded Dark, sending him right into the stream he was using to wash his blade. Reached again for the bag, Symphony knew she had to act quickly. The crystal hand grabbed the bag, making Symphony smile. She tried to pull her arm out, but it wouldn't move. _Dammit!! I can't retrieve with this shard!!_ Dark recovered from the blow and was running towards the arm. _Then if I can't retrieve, I'll send!!_ She used the sharp ends of the fingers to rip open the bag and reached inside. Dark brought his sword down on the arm this time, but Symphony would not give in! _Ngh…ah…c'mon!_ She gathered the shards and began to squeeze them. More blood began to flow out of the shard. _I can do this! _With all her force, she crushed the shards. Dark's eyes widened as light shot from the clenched palm into different directions. He angrily turned back to the arm and slashed it as hard as he could. _AAAAH!!_ Symphony yanked her arm out and blood splattered on the table and on Link's clothes.

"KYAAAH!!" Her eyes widened as she dropped the shard and everything began to return to normal. She fell backwards and hit the floor hard, causing Link to spring to her side.

"Symphony! What happened?!" Link cried.

"A-AAAH!" Tears came to Symphony's eyes as the tried to move her bloody right arm. "M-my arm!!"

Link reached for her arm and held it up. There was no tone to it! She couldn't move her arm at all! "Symphony! Can't you heal your arm?!"

She was in too much shock to do anything. "I can't move it!" she screamed repeatedly, traumatized by the whole event.

"Symphony! Get a hold of yourself! You have to heal your arm or you could die from blood loss!"

Symphony shut her eyes. _How did this happen? Is Dark so powerful that he could crack a crystal made of pure magic?!_ She rolled to her side and held her right arm with her left. "Sh-Shit!" she yelled. She opened her eyes, but winced at the pain. "C-Come on!" Her left hand began to glow as she touched her right arm. The wounds began to close and the blood was disappearing.

Link held Symphony up as she healed her arm. "That…That _thing_…just what did it do to you?"

**XXXX**

Symphony sat at the table, holding her right arm. Under the sleeve of her robe, her arm was wrapped up in bandages. The blood had been cleaned off the table and Symphony managed to remove the bloodstains from Link's borrowed clothes. It was midday now and the house and remained silent since then. The two had been trying to analyze what just happened, since they were both still in shock. Symphony looked up from the table and at Link, who sat across from her.

"Dark doesn't have the shards anymore…" she whispered.

"What?" Link asked as he looked at her.

"I was able to scatter the shards by crushing them."

"Do you know where they are?"

"No…but I could check with the shard."

"No," Link sternly said. "I don't want you to get hurt again, do you under-"

"Link," Symphony said with a smile. "I appreciate your concern, and that's definitely gotten you some more points, but I'll be fine this time. I won't stick my arm through; I just need to see the location of the shards."

Link frowned. "…Well…as long as you won't get hurt then…I suppose it's fine…"

Symphony nodded and reached for the shard. It was a bit painful when she synchronized with it again, but not as much as last time. She gazed hard at the shard. _Okay, show me what I want to see. I want to know where the other shards are._ The shard then became animated with color. It revealed a dark forest, a busy town, a snowy mountain, an ocean. But after the ocean, there was nothing else. _What?_ Symphony dropped the shard and came back in touch with the world. "But…how could that be?" she whispered.

"Well, what did you see?" Link asked anxiously.

"Do you have a map?"

"Yes!" Link went through one of his pouches and pulled out a map. "Here." He handed it over to her.

"Okay…" She circled the Faron Province, the castle, and the Peak Province.

"Just those places?" Link asked.

"…No."

"No? What do you mean 'no'?"

"There was…an ocean."

"An ocean?" Link repeated.

"The mirror split into eight pieces. We have one, but it only showed me the location of three others. That makes four. That means that the other four pieces are somewhere beyond that ocean…not in this land…"

"What?" Link was surprised.

"I don't know how to get to any ocean since all we have is Lake Hylia. I'm sure Zelda knows something about it, but we better find the shards that I marked first. Then we can go to her."

Link sighed, thinking this over. "…Yes. That's what we'll do." He grinned.

Symphony smirked. "Okay. Then we depart as soon as we're ready. And just so you know, I fixed your tunic."

The two nodded and scrambled up the stairs, flinging off their clothes and jumping into their traveling clothes. Symphony hurriedly put on her make up and her medallion. Link pulled on his gloves and put his hat on. They ran downstairs and Link strapped on his pouches and weapons. Symphony attached her mace to her sash and tucked her dagger into her sash. Link put some supplies into his pouches and he reached for the shard of the Mystic Mirror and placed it safely into an empty pouch.

The two headed outside and Symphony locked the door, knowing that she would not return in a while. Link went to the small stables and led Epona out.

"Ready?" Link asked.

"Yes," Symphony responded happily. She got on Epona without Link's help this time, confident in her actions. She wrapped her arms around the hero's waist and placed her chin on his shoulder.

"Ah! Symphony! Link!" Renado was walking towards the two. "I've been meaning to talk-"

"Sorry, can't talk now!" Symphony shouted as Epona took off with Link's command.

Renado blinked, stunned. "Now I wonder where those two are headed…"

**XXXX**

Link and Symphony rode through Hyrule Field, heading towards the Faron Province…and a new adventure. What awaited the two was unknown to them, but they were ready to face anything. With Link's heroic courage and noble sense of justice, he would cut down evil without hesitation. And with Symphony at Link's side, despite her feeling for Hylians, she would be there to nurse the hero back to health should anything harm him. And with her deadly Soul-Stealing Hammer, Tama, she would easily color the ground red with the blood of her enemies. The pair was a force to be reckoned with and they would stop at nothing until what they set out to do is accomplished.

And so a new adventure officially begins for Link, the Hero of Legend, and his boyish, bad-tempered new companion, Symphony, as they ride towards the Faron Province, eagerly approaching their first destination to obtain the second of eight shards of the Mystic Mirror.


	10. Chapter 9: Terror of Ordon

**Chapter 9: Terror of Ordon**

Link and Symphony reached the Faron Province, but Link stopped Epona. He looked around. Something was not right.

"What's wrong?" Symphony asked.

"There's usually a guy that sells lantern oil here…but he's gone…"

"Maybe he just went on vacation or something. Quit being paranoid."

"Maybe I am being paranoid…but I want to stop by my village first."

"Alright, alright, fine."

Link continued through the Faron Province and came to the Ordona Province. He stopped by his home, but still didn't find anything suspicious. "Hmm, I'm going to leave Epona. Let's go into the village."

"Okay," Symphony sighed. She got down and waited for Link to meet her at the path leading to the village. Link walked over to her and the two traveled down the path into the village. No one was outside. "See? Everything is A-Okay."

Link froze. "No, there's something wrong with this picture. It's the middle of the day and no one's outside. That's not right …"

"Hmm?" Symphony turned her gaze to the water. "…Link…you could be right." She ran over to the water and continued right on its surface.

"Symphony wait!"

"Relax, I'm just going to check something out!" Symphony shouted. She ran around the corner.

Link gritted his teeth. Should he follow her, or investigate the village? "…" He decided to let Symphony take care of herself. He walked over to Rusl's home and knocked on the door. "Rusl, are you home?"

"…"

"Rusl? It's me, Link."

"…Link?"

"Rusl! You are there! Why don't you open the door?"

"…I'm coming out."

"Dad!" It was Colin's voice.

"It's okay, I'll be fine." The door slowly came open and Rusl slid out. "Link, I'm glad to see that you're okay." He hesitated. "You shouldn't be here Link, it's not safe."

"What?" Now he was worried.

"We've had nothing but bad luck ever since you left the village with that girl."

"What do you mean?"

"A fortress has risen deep in the Faron Forest. And from it, a man has come forth demanding that we tell him the whereabouts of something called the 'Master Sword'."

Link's heart skipped a beat. "The…Master Sword?"

"Yes. But none of us know where it is, and this upset him. Our crops have all died and he took our goats. Now he makes everyone, even the children, work from morning to night in hopes of having us find this Master Sword for him. And to make matters worse, he put a giant stone golem in charge of our village."

"A-A…A what!? Where is it?!"

"I-It's in that hidden spot that you have to swim to in order to reach." Link's heart skipped another beat. "You know the place I'm talking about, right?"

Link spun around and began to run towards the water. "Symph-"

"KAYH!!" Symphony flew through the air and hit the mound of earth that surrounded the village. She cracked the mound with her body, then fell into the water.

"Dammit, Link, did you bring that girl back?!" Rusl shouted.

Link didn't hear him. He had already dove into the water to get Symphony. "Symphony!"

Symphony broke through the surface, gasping for air. "Link, watch out!" she screamed as a huge rock-like creature emerged.

Link turned around, his eyes wide. The creature stepped into the water, causing a wave. "Gah!" Link was pushed towards Symphony and they grabbed each other. "Symphony, I thought you were just going to check something out?!"

"I did! But I didn't expect it to attack me!" Symphony yelled. The golem moved closer to them. "We have to get out of the water!!" The two began to swim over to the shore, but the golem, with its long arms, reached out and grabbed the two. "Shit!!"

It pulled them back and shoved them into the water. The two were able to swim out from under its hands and broke through the surface again. They were trying with all their might to swim fast enough to get out to safety, but the golem reached out again, but this time, for Symphony.

"AAIIEE!!"

"Symphony!" Link, who just happened to have his claw shot, used it to pull himself up to the golem's arm. He had to get Symphony out of its grasp because this time, it was trying to crush her. Link drew his sword and drove it right into the crack between the golem's wrist and arm. The rock monster let out a cry and dropped Symphony, but grabbed Link with its other hand.

"U-Ughn…" Symphony crawled out of the water and gasped for air. "L-Link…!" Her head quickly shot up to the golem. Now it had Link in its possession. "Dammit! I gotta save him somehow!" But before she had the chance to act, the creature threw Link down into the water and lifted its massive foot. "NO!!" The golem brought its foot down on top of Link and forced him down to the bottom of the mini lake. "Shit! Link's gonna drown if I don't do something!"

"Out of the way!" Rusl yelled as she leapt towards the golem. He began to climb the monster, hoping to find a vital spot to drive his sword through.

With all the commotion, the villagers had come out of their homes and began to scream in horror at the sight.

"You're not helping!" Symphony shouted at them. She frantically looked around. "What can I do? What? What?!" An idea crossed her mind. "Okay, it's time for me to get a hold of my Sheikan abilities!" She summoned up all the magical power within her body. "Please, great sage Impa, goddesses, someone, give me the power I need to save Link." She held out her hands and firmly planted her feet on the ground. "Here goes nothing!"

_Sheikan Art: Water Manipulation!_

Water began to bubble up, like a geyser ready to erupt. Symphony concentrated on the water. Before long, a torrent of water shot up into the sky. Symphony, concentrating even harder, began to move her hands, which caused the water to move along with her.

"Alright, here goes!" Symphony spun her right hand around, making the water build up force. "KAAH!!" She slung her arms to the right side of her body and the water shot violently at the golem, knocking it over.

_Bull's eye!!_

Rusl had jumped off the creature before it was knocked over and fell into the water, right next to Link who had quickly surfaced and was gasping for air. Symphony smiled. "I-I did it! I-" Symphony fell to the ground, her heart beating too fast. "Wh-What's…What's happening?!" She clutched her chest, her eyes locked on the ground. "Ngh!" She shut her eyes. _What is this pain?! What's going on?!_ Her cheeks puffed up and her lips were tightly sealed, but she just couldn't control her own body. Her mouth dropped open as blood came out. She began to cough and choke, her body trembling. The world around her was starting to disappear.

"Symphony?!" Link had rushed out of the water and ran to Symphony's side.

_What?_

"Symphony!! Hey!!"

_Who?_

"What's wrong?! Symphony!?"

_No, not anymore._

The golem retaliated as it knocked Link away from the Sheikah. The villagers began to throw rocks at the monster, trying to draw it away from the poor girl, but their efforts were fruitless. The stone golem picked up Symphony, looked her over, then threw her over the homes of the village and in the direction of the ranch.

"SYMPHONY!!" Link's heart was racing as started for the ranch. _Please be okay, please be okay, please!_ He was suddenly stopped dead in his tracks as the golem had jumped right in front of him. "Dammit, I don't have time for you!"

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" A chilling screech rang through the air, causing everyone to cover their ears. The golem turned to its left to see a black creature leap over the hill and land right on its head. The golem reached up and grabbed the human like creature and began to crush it in its hands. Before the golem could kill it, a black beam of light shot from the creature, going straight through the forehead of the golem.

The golem dropped the creature onto the roof of Mayor Bo's house and stumbled backwards. The black creature let out another shrill cry as its arm turned into a giant sword. It jumped from the roof of Mayor Bo's house and flew at the golem, its arm pulled back.

"AAAAIIIIIEEE!!" The creature drove it's sword through the golem, shattering it into giant boulders.

"Get out of the way!!" Rusl yelled as the villagers scrambled to safety.

Boulders rained down in the village, most of them landing in the water, but some of them damaged a few of the homes. Link just stood there, shock not letting him move. He watched as the black creature landed on the ground with a light 'thud'. It was not too far from Link, and it turned to him, white eyes capturing him in its gaze.

Link's body began to quiver. _Wh…What is that thing…it's emanating such a…powerful and…frightening feeling…_ Sweat trickled down his face as both he and the creature stood motionless.

"Link!" Rusl shouted. The black creature turned to Rusl and ran towards him. "Wh-What the hell?!"

"No!" Link shouted.

The creature turned its arm into a sword again and ran it right through Rusl's side. "GAAAH!!"

"Dad!!" Colin yelled.

"RUSL!" Uil screamed, clutching her baby. "NO!!"

The creature grabbed Rusl by the front of his shirt and threw him into the water, then turned its sights on the crowd of villagers.

Colin drew his wooden sword and jumped in front of the group, and was quickly joined by Mayor Bo and Talo. "Get back you monster!" But it just kept coming.

Link wasn't going to make it. He forced his legs to go faster, but his speed didn't change. "No! No! No, no, no!! You guys just move!" he cried.

_CLANG!!_

Everyone froze as their eyes rested on a young man, the long headband wrapped around his forehead flowing in the light breeze. His messy brown hair danced about, revealing his two blood red eyes, and the red, curly markings under each eye. When the breeze died down, the young man's hair returned to its normal style, his right eye covered. The crimson streaks contrasted with his brown hair, catching the gaze of the villagers.

Link blinked in amazement. "S…Sa…"

Santino had his two handheld weapons in the body of the black creature. "Obliterate." He pulled his weapons out to the side, causing the creature to scream. The creature moved back, but Santino made a punching motion with his weapons, stabbing the creature again. Blood dripped to the ground and the creature screamed once more. It turned its hand into a sword and thrust it at Santino, but he blocked it and countered with another blow to the chest.

"AAAAAHHHH!!" The creature vanished.

Santino glared. "…"

The villagers were terrified, and one of them, Beth, fainted.

"Beth!" Sera shouted as she scooped up her daughter.

Santino turned to Link, an angry expression on his face. Link just stared back at Santino. "…Why…!" He turned back to the direction of the ranch. "SYMPHONY!!"

**XXXX**

"Ughn…"

"Oh? Are you awake?"

Symphony opened her eyes. "Wh-What…"

"Here."

Symphony looked at the bowl being presented to her, then up at the person who was holding it. "Huh?" It was Uli.

"Please, take it."

Symphony blinked, then looked back down in the bowl. A green, bubbling liquid was in it. "Eww, what is that?"

"Medicine."

"Looks like barf."

"Oh please don't say that."

Symphony looked back up at Uil. A hurt look was in her eyes. "…Um…I'm sorry." Symphony took the bowl. "Thank…you." She inhaled deeply, then swallowed the concoction. "Erk!" Symphony covered her mouth. "Wh-What kind of medicine is that?!"

"It's good for you, trust me."

"But what's it made out of?"

"Bee larva and Bird Grass roots."

Symphony seemed to turn a shade of green. "Disgusting," she whispered. She sighed. "Did you make that?"

"Y-Yes. I always make the medicines for the village," Uli replied.

"Well, you need to learn a better way of doing things. Bee larva and Bird Grass roots is a very weak medicine used to cure coughing fits in children."

"It…It is?"

"Duh. Who was your teacher for this stuff?" Symphony stood up, pain overcoming her. "Dammit…" She held up her hand and it began to glow.

"Wh-What're you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm healing myself since you obviously did a bad job of that, no offense."

Uli began to turn red. "Well excuse me for helping you!"

"I don't mean to be rude," Symphony began as her cuts and bruises began to disappear, "but you're a horrible doctor. It's a good thing that country folk rarely get sick because this entire village would have died out a while ago."

"Why I've never met such a disrespectful young woman in my life!" Uli cried.

"It happens," Symphony said as she pulled on her top. She noticed a piece of paper and an ink well on a small table nearby. She stopped and scribbled something down.

"And just what do you think you're doing now?"

"Well, thanks for taking the time to try and help me," Symphony said as she walked out.

Uil fumed. "That girl!" She stomped over to the table and snatched up the piece of paper. "…Symphony's Fast-Acting Salve?" She continued to read the paper. "…Get-Well Soup? Golden Chu Chu Potion? There's…There's ingredients for everything…" She looked at the door. "…"

**--**

Symphony stepped out of Uli's house, but paused when she got a good look at the destruction. "…Oh…" The villagers were running about, trying to repair their homes. She spotted Link. "Link? Hey Link!"

Link turned to her, but didn't respond. His eyes were so sad looking.

Symphony ran over to him. "What's going on?"

"…We're trying to rebuild our home…"

"What happened to that golem? Where is it?"

Link sighed. "I don't even know anymore…" He sat in the grass.

"Link, are you okay?"

"Oh boy, this will take us at least three months to fix everything," Fado said. "And Rusl almost died."

"We can't give up hope," Mayor Bo said.

"But we're in so much turmoil already!" Pergie shouted. "That damned Xenos has taken so much from us!"

"Xenos?" Link asked as he stood up. "Who's that?" The adults turned to him.

"He's the man that's been terrorizing our village," Mayor Bo answered.

"And it's her fault!" Pergie exclaimed as she pointed at Symphony.

"Now wait just a goddamn minute, how is this _my_ fault?" Symphony shouted.

"When you left our village, all of this bad stuff started happening!"

"My wife's got a point," Jaggle added. "Think about it. Some strange girl comes to our village and when she leaves, everything goes to hell."

"Shut up! You don't have any evidence supporting this!"

"That's plenty of evidence!" Sera shouted back. "Maybe you're working with Xenos!"

"That's a lie! I don't even know who that is!"

"A likely story!"

"Please stop this!" Mayor Bo pleaded. "We have to examine both-"

"Dad, their theory does seem reasonable…" Ilia said as she joined the conversation. She quickly glanced at Symphony. "I mean…think about it…"

"Oh who asked you, bitch?" Symphony hissed.

"Hey!!" The adults began to yell at Symphony.

"STOP IT!" Link finally screamed. "All of you!!" He moved in front of Symphony. "Symphony might be a rude, pessimistic girl, but she is not responsible for what happened here!! I was with her the whole time when we left here! There's no way she could have contacted anyone! So just stop it!"

"My, my, such a fuss." Everyone turned to face the person approaching them. "So, why are we shouting, hmm?"

Mayor Bo glared. "…Xenos."

Xenos was a beast of a man; he was very tall and had evil looking black eyes. He had slicked back white hair with a strand hanging in his face. And to top it all off, he was decorated with all sorts of weapons and was followed by a crowd of servants.

Xenos put on a sad face. "What's all this? Destruction everywhere, people arguing?" He closed his eyes. "Tsk, tsk. I came down here because one of my men said my beloved golem was destroyed, but my, I didn't expect all of this!" Link and Symphony suddenly caught his attention. "And who's this? Outsiders? In _my_ village?!" He began to tremble with rage.

"M-My Lord, please, calm yourself!" one of Xenos' men pleaded.

"SILENCE!!" Xenos unsheathed one of his swords and drove it through his servant. Everyone took a step back. "I give you people a day off and this is how you use it?! You raze my property?!"

"Please let us explain!" Mayor Bo cried. "Xenos, it's-"

"That's _Lord_ Xenos to you, whelp!!" He reached for a whip at his side and swung it at the villagers. "You shall be punished!!"

Symphony jumped in the way and countered with her needles, stopping the whip. "Back off!!"

Xenos blinked. "How…" His face became red. "How dare you interfere, outsider!! Seize her at once!!"

"Yes my Lord!" The servants surrounded Symphony and grabbed her.

"H-Hey?! Get yer hands off me!!"

"Stop!!" Link shouted as he rushed forward.

"That's enough!" Xenos roared as he held out his hand and a barrier formed in front of Link.

"L-Let me go!!" Symphony screamed. "Link!!"

"Symphony!" Link yelled as he beat on the barrier.

"You all shall pay for what you've done, make no mistake about it!" Xenos shouted. He walked up to Symphony and grabbed her chin. "And as for you, my little flower, you're punishment will be far more…entertaining…" Symphony's eyes grew wide.

Xenos turned on his heel. "Let's go. I want to examine my new pet as soon as possible." He vanished, along with his servants and Symphony.

"Dammit!" Link hissed as the barrier disappeared. He turned to Mayor Bo. "Mayor, do you know where his fortress is?! I have to get Symphony back!!"

"Link," Ilia whispered.

"Y-Yes, I do," Mayor Bo responded hesitantly. "But…"

"I need you to take me there, now!"

"Link-"

"Please! I have to defeat Xenos!" Link implored. "Please."

"Alright Link. But I can only escort you so far. It's too dangerous for someone like me…"

"Thank you so much." The two headed up the path out of the village.

Ilia just stood there, secretly frustrated.

--

A/N: I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while. My last day of school was about 2 weeks ago and I got a wacom tablet as a birthday present so I've been practicing with it. I promise to update more now that I'm out of school.


	11. Chapter 10: Faron Fortress

**Chapter 10: Faron Fortress**

"This is as far as I can go," Mayor Bo said as he stopped by a tree. His eyes met the ground. "I'm sorry that I can't do more for you, Link."

Link turned to Mayor Bo. "That's alright. You've done plenty for me."

"…Just go through the cave and you'll arrive at the fortress. Please be careful."

"I will." Link lit his lantern and turned his attention to the cave's opening.

"Link…"

"Yes?" Link responded, his gaze still locked on the dark cave.

"…You must save your friend, quickly. Xenos will certainly kill her."

"I know." And with that, Link ran ahead.

The cave harbored no life within its damp walls. Not even any weeds dared to grow within. And it was so dark. Even with the light of the lantern, Link had to squint his eyes and walk cautiously. The darkness complimented the place he was heading to; a fortress of evil. Link had a feeling that this man, Xenos, was connect to Dark somehow. It was such a coincidence that after his encounter with his evil half, a fortress sprang up with its leader demanding the Master Sword. What's more, Symphony had said that a piece of the Mystic Mirror resided within a "deep forest", and the woods of the Faron Province were indeed vast. It was said that a certain path could lead one out of the kingdom blessed by the goddesses and into a strange, new land. But there was no time to ponder on such thoughts. Link had exited the cave and arrived at his destination: Xenos' fortress.

Link jumped behind a boulder and peered over. The gates of the fortress were not heavily guarded; just two men. "This will be easy," Link murmured as he readied his bow.

He slowly reached up over the boulder and aimed. The heart would be the best spot since the men were wearing helmets. He fired. The arrow soared through the air and hit its target. The man was dead in an instant and the other man became alarmed. He drew his sword, looking in all directions. Link drew another arrow and shot it without hesitation, hitting his mark as expected. An easy task for such a skilled archer.

Link ran over to the fortress gates and placed his hands on them. "…Was it really that easy?" he whispered.

A dagger zoomed by his cheek and sailed into the gate. Link blinked, but covered his right cheek when he felt the skin break. He spun around and was greeted by a dozen men.

"Did you honestly think that would be it?!" one of the men shouted.

"No, I had a feeling that it couldn't be that easy," Link answered mockingly.

"We'll crush you where you stand!! Charge!!" The men rushed him.

"Heh." Link dodged the first few attacks before countering. He slew three men at once, then welcomed the others with a friendly grin. The battle did not last long as Link defeated them all with just a few cuts here and there. "Wow, that actually _was_ easy."

"Now is not the time to celebrate!" More men began to jump down from the trees. This time, there were more than a dozen.

Link looked around, his sword clutched tightly. "Hmm…" He tried to count all of the enemies, but there were too many. "Grr…" He was incredibly outnumbered.

"CHARGE!!"

This was definitely more that he could handle. Link managed to block some of the attacks, but he couldn't get in a single hit. He didn't even notice that they were slowly pushing him into a corner.

"I don't know how long I can keep this up!" Link said as he struggled to slay a few men, but left himself open to more attacks. Link was injured and his efforts were getting him nowhere. "What do I do?! I have to think!" Then it suddenly dawned on him. He pulled out his clawshot and shot it right into a tree branch. He was pulled over the heads of his attackers and pulled into the tree. This bought him some time. Now he just had to think of his next move.

But that time didn't last long. An arrow came at him, but just barely missed him. It landed in the branch he stood on instead. "Damn, these guys are troublesome. I have to-" Be fore he could finish, the arrow ignited and detonated. "GAAH!" Link fell out of the tree and landed with a loud thud at the feet of his enemies. One of them brought his sword down on the trapped hero.

_A needle came soaring out of the air and went straight into the forehead of the man._

Link froze as he looked up at the man in the tree above him. "N-No way!!"

_Santino launched more needles at the men running towards Link._

"Okay, you wanna play rough?" Santino shouted as he threw his final needle. "Okay then!" He held out his weapon in his right hand. "Shiekan Art: Stalagmite Storm!"

Sharp jagged rocks shot out from the ground, impaling several men. Santino jumped down from the tree and ran right past Link. He headed straight into the crowd, then stopped when he was surrounded. "Perfect." He raised his weapons high into the air and let out a cry, "Gods in the heavens above, show these villains your righteous fury! _Heaven's Judgment!!_" Lightning shot across the suddenly dark sky, then rained down in giant orbs on the attackers, wiping out most of them. Santino looked back at Link and glared. "Don't just sit there!" He reached into his pouch ad pulled out a bottle of red potion. "Get up!!"

Link held out his hands as Santino threw the bottle at him and caught it with ease. He downed the liquid in one gulp and instantly jumped to his feet. His health was restored! "Alright, now we're talking!"

"GET HIM!!"

Link turned half way to the men running after him, then smirked. He jumped over their heads, then delivered his powerful spin attack.

Santino, on the other hand, continued to use powerful Sheikan magical techniques to eliminate large numbers of the enemy.

_Death is the only punishment for evil beings who oppose the virtuous judgment of good…_

**XXXX**

Link panted heavily as he watched the last man fall. "Phew…" He wiped his mouth, then looked at Santino who stood by a tree, silently resting. "…" Link pulled himself together, then walked over to the brown-haired Sheikah. "Hey-"

"You want to know what I'm doing here, don't you?" Santino asked as he began to clean the blood off his weapons.

"Y-Yes…But how did you-"

"All Sheikahs have the ability to read thoughts." Link suddenly blushed, wondering about the things he thought about when Symphony was with him. He suddenly became a deeper red as he realized that Santino was probably reading his thoughts at that very moment. The Sheikah turned to Link, confused by his red face and sudden silence. "What? I was only kidding. Don't be so naive."

Link blinked, then frowned. "It's not nice to say things like that."

"Whatever. Look, it was obvious what you were going to ask me, okay? That's how I knew." When the last drop of blood was off his blades, he reattached them to his belt.

"Oh…So what _are_ you doing here?"

"Well-"

"I know!" Link suddenly shouted as he snapped his fingers. "You knew about Symphony being kidnapped and you came here to help me rescue her, didn't you? That has to be the reason!"

Santino sighed and moved away from the Hylian. He headed to the fortress gates and looked up. "Actually, that's not my reason for being here."

Link stopped. "But…But why not? You and Symphony-"

"Hylian, don't begin to speak of things which you know nothing about. Symphony might have told you about what happened to our tribe, but that doesn't mean that you know everything." He turned back to Link. "I'm here because I heard from a reliable source that this Xenos fellow has a room full of gold. I decided to be a Good Samaritan and take some off his hands. And that's all." He crossed his arms. "Don't think that I would ever save Symphony. She wouldn't want me to."

"What makes you think that?!" Link shouted, suddenly upset. "You two keep telling me that I know nothing about the Sheikahs and that the Hylians were so brutal for killing them, but how are you any different?! You two are a few of the last Sheikah there are and you won't even stay with her! Your logic is twisted! Symphony wants you to-"

"ENOUGH!" Santino teleported over to Link and forcefully pinned him against the tree. "You think I don't know that?! You think I want to be apart from the only person that remotely resembles family to me?! You don't understand!! I refuse to stick with her for _our own good_! Being with her will only cause us more pain and suffering! I don't want her to go through that anymore! She's the only one of us last few Sheikah that hasn't gotten over the fact that we don't exist!" He loosened his grip on Link. "She can't stop living in the past. And if I stay with her, she'll never reach that final stage of acceptance. I don't want to hinder her growth…" He released Link and walked back over to the gate. "…I…love Symphony so much," he whispered.

Santino paused for a moment. "Besides…" Link watched Santino, stunned by his words. "You were the one that got Symphony into this mess. You _will_ save her yourself. I'm only going to stick with you until I can get my hands on Xenos' gold. After that, you're on your own." He pushed the gates open. "Now hurry up. You and I both have important things to do." Santino disappeared behind the gates.

Link just stood there, then looked down at his hands. "…For their…own good…"

**--**

Symphony smashed small bottles of perfume on the floor, then tore down the curtains of the room she was in. "AAAHHH!!" She turned her sights on the bed, ripped the sheets off, and threw them into a pile on the floor. She let out another aggravated scream and began to beat on the wall. Again and again she let out scream after scream, tears suddenly in her eyes. She was just so frustrated with the whole situation.

Red stains appeared on the wall with each punch Symphony threw. "Let me out!!" she yelled. "Let…Let me go…" She sank to the floor, her hands burning with pain. "Dammit…" She healed her hands, then flung herself on the disheveled bed. She was weary.

"My, aren't we a feisty one?" Symphony leapt up as Xenos entered the room. He looked around, then grimaced. "Oh dear, I don't like it when people destroy my things. I worked so hard for them and it just makes me so upset…"

"Oh yeah?" Symphony began, picking up a porcelain vase. "Then why don't you do something about it!" she dared and she cast the vase as hard as she could onto the floor.

And Xenos struck her.

Symphony was bewildered as she held her left cheek. "Y-You…"

"Just because you're a woman doesn't make you any different. I discriminate against no one." He smiled, then bent over the broke vase. "What a shame. That was a beautiful vase. I brought you here so I could amuse myself, but all you seem to want to do is destroy. You destroyed my golem, and now one of my finest guest chambers. I brought you here with good intentions, yet you spoil my generosity. How ungrateful you are!" Xenos stood up straight. "I'm preparing a wonderful feast for the two of us for dinner. You _will_ attend. Then after that…" He walked to the window. "After that…the real fun will begin."

"Wh-What fun?" Symphony asked hesitantly.

"Why the torture of course, my little flower!"

She nearly choked. "_T-Torture_?! B-But-"

"What? Did you think that I would take you as my lover or something? When I said I would entertain myself, I didn't mean I would take you in one passionate, wild night. Oh no. Although you are indeed attractive, I do not have _that_ interest in you. No, my idea of 'fun' is to watch as a lovely girl like yourself bleed to death from a gaping wound in her throat as pints of blood spurt onto the floor and stain her lovely evening dress. _That_ is my idea of fun. It gives me more pleasure than any night of love making could ever give me." He smirked viciously as he turned back to Symphony. "Speaking of dresses, I have the ideal one picked out for you." He moved over to the armoire and pulled it open. "Ah yes, this is the one." He pulled out a white evening dress, perfect for a Royal Ball. "Here!" He held it up to Symphony. "Yes, this goes nicely with your hair and highlights those blood red eyes of yours. You will wear this to dinner. It'll look stunning on you when your beautiful blood is spilling on it." He handed it to her.

Xenos sighed and walked over to the door. "I shall see you when the sun goes down." He swung the door open, but paused. "Oh, and if you continue to break things, I'm going to be tempted to cut your hands off before I can begin to torture you. Please don't tease me that way, yeah?" And he left.

Symphony stood there for a while, staring off into space. "…" She collapsed to her knees, burying her face in her hands. "H-He's insane! A madman!!" The dress was thrown across the room. "No! I'm not gonna let him kill me like that! I won't!" Symphony looked up. "…Link…" She said, barely audible, "…please…"

"M-My Lord!?"

Symphony froze. "Who's Xenos…?"

"I-I didn't know you were going to stop by today. Wh-What brings you here?"

Symphony got to her feet and quietly moved to the door. "Who's there with him, I wonder…" She pressed her ear to the door and listened.

"She's here, I can feel it."

"Who's here my Lord?"

"My one true love."

"I-I'm sorry my Lord, but that can't be right. I have no such woman here…"

"You do."

"No, I don't."

"Then tell me, impudent rat, did you not capture a young maiden today?"

"…I…I did…"

"And are you not withholding her?"

"…Y-Yes, but my Lord, she is nothing! Just a worthless wench! I-I've already planned to kill her-"

"You damned idiot!! You useless piece of filth!!"

Symphony jumped away from the door when she heard something bang against it, as if someone was slammed into it. "By the gods, who could _that_ be?!"

"M-My Lo-"

"Shut up!! She is not worthless!! She's far from it! I've been searching for that Sheikan girl for sixteen years!"

Symphony's heart stopped. At that moment, she realized how close she was to true evil. On the other side of the door was…_Dark_.

"Sh-Sheikan? But I thought that they were all wiped out-"

"More or less…"

"What do you mean by that, my Lord?"

"I've found all of the Sheikah remaining in this land, and that number is small, incredibly small, compared to the number that existed when the tribe was still around. _But_…"

"But what?"

Symphony's heart began to race. So it was true! There _were_ other survivors and they _did_ live in another land! Symphony only told herself that so she wouldn't lose hope, but now she knew it had to be true! And Dark…Dark knew something about them…

"I've discovered the _true_ location of the last residual one-third of the tribe…"

"Wh-Where are they?"

"They've picked an excellent location, actually. You see-"

"Lord Xenos! Lord Dark!!"

"What is it?"

"Intruders! Two of them! They've broken into the fortress! And they're impossible to defeat!!"

"Silence! There's no man alive that I can't kill!"

"Hmph, I knew he'd come too…"

"Who my Lord?"

"My 'better half'. Link."

"Link? But then, who's the other person with him?"

"Hmm, I'm unfamiliar with Link's companion…Xenos!!"

"Y-Yes?"

"Take care of Link and his friend. I'm taking Symphony with me."

"Symphony? That's her name?"

The door flew open and Symphony fell to the floor. Before she had any time to react, the world went black around her.

**--**

"Link!" Santino shouted as he stabbed a man in the chest.

"What?!" Link shouted back.

"It's been fun, see ya!" Santino suddenly vanished.

"Hey, wait, what?!" Link cried as he spun around. But Santino was really gone. Link was alone, surrounded. "Dammit Santino!! He must have found what he was looking for!" Link clenched his sword. "That bastard…"

"STAND DOWN!"

Link looked up from his thoughts. "Wh-" Behind his opponents was his real target- Xenos. This time, he had just a large broadsword.

"Hmph, all of you, be gone."

"But my Lord, we can-"

"I said leave!!" Xenos unsheathed his sword and took of the head of the man questioning him. The other men didn't waste any time getting out of there. "Well, now we have some privacy, hmm?"

Link gritted his teeth. "Where's Symphony?"

"Symphony? Who is that?"

"You know damn well who! Now give her back to me!!"

"How touching. I did not realize that I kidnapped your lover."

"Sh-She's not my lover!" Link quickly shot back, his face turning a bit red. "She's just my friend!"

"You say that now, but just wait. Anyway," Xenos said as he licked the blood off his blade, "I have no interest in talking about women right now. I would like to cut into that handsome body of yours."

Link blushed. "You sick bastard!!" He drew his sword as well. "I'll kill you and take Symphony back."

"Try your best, boy, but I must warn you…" he stuck his tongue out, "I'm a bit of a beast in battle…"


	12. Chapter 11: Master Sword

**Chapter 11: Master Sword**

Link jumped back to avoid the long reach of Xenos powerful broadsword. _What do I do? Where's his weak point?_ Link thought as he dodged another blow. _If I get hit, then it's all over. There's no way I'd be able to survive a hit from that thing. Damn…_

"Why don't you hold still!?" Xenos shouted.

"What fun would that be if I did that?" Link answered back smugly. He held up his shield.

"I suppose you do have a point…" Xenos suddenly leapt into the air.

"What?!"

"Over here!" Xenos landed behind Link and grasped his sword in both hands, ready to swing. Link spun around with his shield out, but couldn't support the weight of the blow. "Bwahaha!! This is too easy!"

Link was down on one knee, trying with all his might to keep Xenos' sword from crushing him. _I have to do something!_ He looked around, trying to see if he could escape in anyway. But that was useless. "D-Dammit!"

"You're going to die here, hero!"

_I n-need…_ Link began to sweat. _I need an opening! I-I…!!_ Then he saw it. But the opening that was staring him right in the face was tricky, but he knew what to do. The only thing, however, was that if he messed up, he would be open to an attack and he would perish. _I've got one shot at this! I've got to make it count!!_ With all his might, Link pushed up against his shield and shoved Xenos' sword away from him. And in a split second, he swung his sword into Xenos' Achilles' tendon.

"G-GAAAAH!!" Xenos jumped away, but fell to the ground. His left foot was now useless. "Y-You cheeky bastard! How dare you!!"

Link regally got to his feet as he twirled his sword in his hand. "I'm not so easy to keep down…" He glared. "The only one who's going to die here-" He jumped into the air and held his sword high over his head, "-is _you_!!"

Xenos held his sword up to block, but was knocked back. "Damn!!"

"It's over Xenos. You can't fight like that. Give up now and return Symphony to me and I _might_ spare your life…" Link's voice boomed.

"Heh…Heh Heh heh…HAHAHAHA!!"

"What's so funny?" Link hissed.

Xenos smirked as he got to his feet. "What makes you think that Symphony is still alive?"

Link froze. "Wh…What do you mean?"

He began to search his pockets. "Oh, what's this?" He pulled out a blood-stained purple medallion. "I do recall that Symphony wore this in her last moments…"

Link's heart began to race. "Wh-What?"

"Oh, yes, she did. But then again, it's so hard to keep track off all my victim's belongings…" He licked the blood off. "Oh yes, this is _definitely_ hers. Her blood is something that I can't forget…"

Link couldn't say anything.

"What's wrong? What happened to your fire, dear hero?" Xenos put on the medallion. "What do you think? Does this look good on me? I think so."

"Y-Y-You…You…"

"What is it? You're so inarticulate all of a sudden. Did I make you sad? Are you sad about your dead girlfriend? Or are you…_mad_?"

Link wildly charged forward, his eyes black with rage. He screamed loudly as he swung his sword madly, trying to kill the man in front of him. "You son of a bitch!!" Link screamed, breaking away from his usual character. "Give her back!!"

"Now _this_ is a fight!!" Xenos laughed cruelly, hobbling around on one foot. "It's nice to see some anger!"

"DIE!!" Link swung hard at Xenos' sword, knocking it out of his hand, then drove his own blade through him.

Xenos' mouth hung open. "A-Ack…"

"You will pay for what you've done."

"…L-Link…"

"Last words, hmm?"

"N-No…"

Link raised one brow. "Then what?"

Xenos punched Link in the gut, making him double over. "H-Heh…H-How naive o-of you…" He pulled the sword out and covered the wound with his hands. "…Damn…"

"Well, if that didn't kill you," Link shouted, grabbing his sword, "then this-" Fire suddenly surrounded him. "Wh-What is this?!"

"Hmph, I-I can't die so easily!" Xenos laughed. "You're looking for pieces of the Mystic Mirror, aren't you?"

Link's eyes widened. "How did-"

"My Lord told me all about it. And you know what? I found one a few days ago in the forest. Yes, I did." He smirked. "And I know all about the Mystic Mirror. You see, I'm a black mage from the Village of Karul, and by having a piece of the Mystic Mirror, I can increase my powers ten fold!!" And with that, he pulled out a shard of the mirror from a pouch and ingested it. "Behold, hero, your death shall be painful and merciless!!"

And Xenos began to change. Four horns sprouted from his head, and a tail grew from his backside. His skin began to turn a reddish color and his eyes began black. By consuming the shard of the Mystic Mirror, he mutated.

Link took a step back. "B-By the gods…What an unholy creature…!" Xenos picked up his broadsword with his tail and launched it at Link. "Ah!!" Link dove out of the way, but was sent flying when Xenos suddenly appeared behind him and smacked him with his tail. Link tumbled back and hit a wall. "U-Ugh…" He rubbed his head. "He's gotten a lot faster."

"And stronger too!" Xenos appeared in front Link this time, grabbed him, then threw him to the other side of the room.

Link skidded on the ground, but managed to stop himself from rolling any further. "Dammit!!" He quickly jumped to his feet.

"See, hero? You don't stand a chance. You are indeed finished," Xenos chuckled.

Link glared. "Okay, I have to strategize…" But something stood out about Xenos, and it was now obvious to Link. "Of course!" The hole that Link had left in Xenos' stomach was now filled with the shard of the Mystic Mirror. Link smirked. "I got it."

Xenos disappeared again.

_Alright_, Link thought, _Xenos has two attacks when he disappears. He can grab me and he can swing his tail, but the latter takes a bit longer to do, that's why he appears behind me. But, I think I can avoid either one if I just side-step. And then when I get that chance…_ A look of determination was plastered on Link's face. He readied his bow.

"Die!!" Xenos suddenly appeared in front of Link and made a motion to grab him by his throat, but Link jumped out of the way. "What?!"

Link got down on one knee, pulled back _three_ arrows, then shot them right into the shard in Xenos' stomach. _Got 'cha._

"GRAAAHHH!!" He stumbled backwards.

"AAAHHHH!!" Link held his sword in both hands and charged at Xenos. "It's over!!" He rammed the sword straight into the shard, pushing it out.

"GAAAAAHHH!" Xenos suddenly changed back into his normal self and fell to the ground, dead.

_It was truly over._

Link breathed hard. "…" He let out another scream, then collapsed. "…Symphony…" He just stared at Xenos' body. "…I failed her…" His eyes suddenly drifted close.

_**X-X-X-X**_

"_Link."_

"_Huh?"_

"_Link."_

"_Who…is that?"_

"_Link!"_

"…_Symphony?"_

"_Link, please."_

"_Symphony? But-"_

"_Why aren't you here yet?"_

"_What-"_

"_I'm waiting. Link, I'm waiting for you."_

"_Symphony? I don't understand. How are you-"_

"_Please, hurry. Link!"_

_**X-X-X-X**_

Link suddenly shot up. "D-Did I just pass out?!" He covered his mouth. "…I could've sworn that I…that I heard Symphony's voice…" Link got to his feet. "Is…Is she really dead?" His expression suddenly hardened. He picked up his sword and turned to Xenos. He ran out, but not before first snatching up Symphony's medallion and the shard of the Mystic Mirror. "No, she can't be dead, I won't believe it!"

Link ran out of the fortress, but stopped. He looked around the forest. "…Where…do I go now?"

"He went in that direction."

Link quickly looked up in the tree above him. It was him! "Santino!"

Santino lazily looked down at Link. "I said that way." He pointed in the direction of the Sacred Grove.

"Where did you go?! You just abandoned me back there! I-"

"I don't know what your shadow is up to, but if you don't shut up and run after him, he's going to take Symphony and you will never get her back."

He froze. "My…shadow…" He stared intensely at the ground. "Santino…thank you!" And he continued to the Sacred Grove.

Santino sighed heavily. "My, my…" He stood up. "Hylian, if you let Symphony die, then you will join her. _I_ will make sure of that…"

**XXXX**

"Dark!" Link shouted. "Dark! Stop hiding and face me!" He looked around. Getting to the Sacred Grove was not hard, but finding Dark ... "Dark!" Link moved forward. "Hey!!"

"Alright, alright. Quit shouting already, yeah?" Dark appeared before Link. "What do you want, hmm?"

"Where's Symphony?"

"Hmm, it would seem that Xenos failed me." Dark covered his eyes. "My only regret is that _I _didn't get to kill that idiot. Oh well, garbage is garbage."

"Answer me!!"

Dark smirked. "Don't get so mad. Symphony is safe. I wouldn't dare harm her."

"That's not what I asked. Where is she?!"

"That's none of your concern."

"Yes it is! Stop playing games and give her back to me!!"

Dark blinked. "…I know what you want. You _want_ Symphony, don't you?"

"What?! Don't be-"

"You can't hide it! I will _never_ let you have her, do you understand me!!" Dark yelled. "She's mine and mine alone! No one may have her!!"

"Why do you want her so badly?!" Link asked, angry.

"Are you that stupid? She's going to help me in my quest, of course!"

"Symphony would never help you! I-"

"Ah yes, _you_. Link, she will help me. When I kill you, she will see that there's no hope left for the world. Then I will have her, for she will be easily swayed in her state of desolation. Everyone has a part to play. And yours is about to end right now." He vanished.

Link drew his sword. "Dammit. Out of one hole and into another…"

_Whoosh!_

Link shut his eyes as a surge of pain struck him. "Wh-What was that?!" He covered his bleeding arm. "Where did-?!" Lodged in the tree in front of him was an arrow.

"I see you Link!" Dark sang. "But can you see me?"

Link spun around, trying to find his shadow. "Where is he?!" The shine of an arrowhead caught his attention and he was able to dodge it. "A-ha! In that tree!" Link grabbed an arrow and fired it up into the tree.

"Yikes! You almost had me there!" Dark jumped out of the tree. "Well, now what?"

Link drew his sword and charged. "Now you die!"

Dark countered the attack, then ran past Link, heading for a new area of the grove. "Catch me if you can!"

"Grr, dammit!" He ran after Dark. "I wish he'd stop playing these games," Link growled as he held his sword tightly.

"Link, I have a question for you."

He looked around, searching for any sign of Dark. "Oh yeah? What is it?"

"Do you know why I brought both you here?"

"No, no I don't. Why don't you tell me?"

"So I could use your death to mock the goddesses themselves. How rich it would be to murder the Hero of Legend in such a sanctified place! This is the perfect place for your death!"

"Oh really? I suppose that does seem logical…"

"Yes, indeed it does."

Another arrow cam soaring out of a tree, but Link was once again able to dodge it. This time, he used his clawshot to rip Dark right from the tree. "I got you!!"

"Shit!!" Dark suddenly vanished.

"What?! Grr, that bastard."

"Over here!" He ran to a different area.

Link chased after him, but stopped when he surround by trees. "Why do you have to hide Dark? Afraid?"

"Hardly. I just like to tease you. Oh! I have another question."

"Ask away…"

"Do you know why I brought Symphony here? This is actually rather easy."

"I dunno. Why don't you tell me?"

"So she could pick up the Master Sword for me after I kill you. I'm sure someone of her lineage would be able to."

"You really thought this out, haven't you?"

"I do nothing less." Another arrow was shot at Link, and he didn't see it.

"Gah!!" Link was shot in his right arm again. "D-Dammit!" He pulled it out, a patch of blood rapidly growing on his sleeve.

"I got you that time. You gotta be more vigilant." He once again jumped out of the tree and Link followed him. "Is this particular area familiar to you, Link?"

Link studied his surroundings. "…We're near the Master Sword…Hmm, you are sneaky…"

"You should expect nothing less from _me_."

"Well, I wouldn't expect you to be hiding in trees, either."

"You damned bastard! Why should I hide from _you_, of all people?! I could kill you instantly, but I just wanted you to suffer. I would never hide from you!"

"That's not what it looks like!"

_Silence._

"Hmm?" Link was now fully alert. "…Where is he?" he whispered.

"…You want Symphony back?"

Link tilted his head to one side. "Yes! You know that!"

"…You don't deserve her."

"What?"

"Why do you want her back? You deny that you have feelings for her, so obviously you don't care about her."

"What?! I do care about her, I just-"

"I can sense it! If you truly wanted her back, then you wouldn't hide your feelings for her!"

"I _don't love_ her!!" Link screamed furiously.

"Ahh, and here lies the problem. This is why you don't deserve Symphony. She's all alone in the world. More than anything else, she just wants to be loved."

Link bit his lip. "But-"

"How could you help her in any way?! You don't love her, and you don't care about her. She's not important to you!"

"That's not true! I-"

"It is _very_ true! You're just gonna end up hating her in the end! You can't even keep track of her! You're just hurting her with your presence!"

Link froze. "…But…But I…"

"Face it. As long as she's with you, you'll just end up making her miserable. You can't give her the thing the wants- love! You're useless to her! And she's useless to you. You don't give a shit about her."

Link just stood there, not sure what to say; not sure what to think. Was…Was it true what Dark said? Did Link not care about Symphony? He was doubting his own actions; his own thoughts and feelings. He shut his eyes. "B-But I…I…" What was true? Was Dark right? Was-

_Blood began to drip to the ground._

Link's eyes were wide. What had just happened?! He looked for the source of the pain, and found three arrows lodged into his chest. "U-Ugh!"

"You shouldn't let your guard down," Dark said as she appeared before Link. "Now I'm going to finish you off, once and for all." He drew his sword and pointed it at Link. "Don't worry. I think you're suffering plenty after just hearing the truth about your own character. So I'll just make this quick."

Link looked at Dark, unable to do anything.

"Good-bye, tragic Hero of Legend." He charged forward.

_Link! I'm waiting for you! Please save me!!_

Link suddenly snapped out of his daze. It was Symphony's voice again! He then looked at Dark. He quickly pulled out his sword, ready to block Dark's attack! Time itself was moving to a standstill as Dark and Link started each other down!!

But Link's sword broke.

Link was horrified. Dark's sword sliced right through his own. _Th-This can't be…No!_

"It's pointless," Dark said coldly. "You were better off just letting me kill you. Now I'll just take off your head instead."

Link did the first thing that came to his mind. He ran. But he wasn't running because he was scared, oh no. Not the Hero of Legend, holder of the Triforce of Courage. No, not him. He was running because it finally hit him that he would need the proper tools to stand a chance against Dark. Link was going to retrieve the Master Sword.

"Where are you going, you coward?!"

Link didn't stop, and he didn't look back. He knew he had to get to the Master Sword in time if he wanted to win against Dark.

And there it was!

Link ran up the small flight of steps, going as fast as he could to get the blade of evil's bane. Link leapt towards the sword as more arrows tried to block his path. But Dark's efforts were useless. Link grabbed the hilt and pulled. "I've got it!!" The sword came out with ease.

"You are still no match for me!!" Dark yelled as he thrust his sword at Link.

But Link blocked the attack, and countered, nailing Dark right in the side.

"GAAAAAHHHH!!" Dark held his side as light came from the wound. "Shit!!"

The sword really was the blade of evil's bane, for it inflicted such heavy damage from a small wound.

Dark held his side as blood began to fall. "Great, I-I didn't think you'd hit me."

"Now _I'm_ going to take off _your_ head!!" Link yelled. He lifted the sword and swung it.

"Not so fast!!" A barrier of black magic surround Dark. "Hmph, cocky son of a bitch, aren't you. You mustn't forget that I have black magic on my side. You may have won this fight Link, but I am far from done." And with that, he was gone.

Link panted. "…Damn…"

But…

"But what about Symphony?" Link whispered. "…Is she really not important to me? Do I really not care about her?"

"Link."

Link spun around. "Y-You!!"

Symphony blinked. "What kind of greeting is that?" The Master Sword captured her attention. "Wh-What?! Is that the-" She didn't finish. Link scooped her up into his arms.

"No! No, I don't believe him!! After everything that's happened between us, and to you, I just can't feel that way! It's not true! I _do_ care about you!!" Link was almost in tears because he was just so conflicted. He didn't understand anything at that moment.

"L-Link!" Symphony shouted. "What are you talking about? I don't-"

"Dark was lying! He was lying!" He suddenly sank to knees, pain overcoming him. "ACK!"

"Link?!" Symphony bent down. "Look at these wounds! What happened?!"

"Symphony!" Link shouted through the pain. "Don't believe him! It's not true! You _are_ important to me!"

"Link, you're not making any sense! Just-"

Link passed out from blood loss.

"L-Link!" Symphony cried. She held him close. "Oh Link, what happened to you? Why did you go through all of this trouble just to…save me?" She began to remove his shirt so she could take a look at the wounds. "Link…you…heard me didn't you? When I was alone in the darkness, crying out for your help, you came. So that ability really does work…" She looked up at the Master Sword. "…Blondie, are you…?" But that question was for later. Link was the priority.


	13. Chapter 12: Handsome Master Thief

**Chapter 12: Handsome Master Thief of Hyrule**

Link grunted, then rolled over. "Nnmm…" He opened his eyes when he abruptly felt uncomfortable. "Wh-What?" He sat up, the moon giving light through one window. He was at home. "How did I…get here…?" Link got out of his bed and looked around. No one was there with him. "…Symphony!" he shouted. "She…" An itchy sensation overcame him, causing to scratch his chest. But he only found bandages, not allowing him to scratch the flesh. "…She must have taken care of me…"

Dark's words returned to him.

"Grr!!" Link threw a punch at the wall, leaving a mark. "He doesn't know anything! Not a thing!! That bastard…" He sighed, then rubbed his eyes. "…I wonder where Symphony is…Maybe she's outside…" He put his shoes on and ventured out.

"_Kieru hikoukigumo bokutachi wa miokutta…"_

Link stopped. "Hmm? Is that…singing?" He climbed down the ladder and listened.

"…_mabushikute nigeta itsudatte yowakute…"_

"I think that is singing…but where is it coming from?" Link decided to head for the springs. "Maybe this way…"

"…_ano hi kara kawarazu…"_

"Whoever that is…" Link said with a shy smile, "…she sure does have a beautiful voice…"

"…_itsumademo kawarazu ni irarenakatta koto…"_

When he reached the springs, he hid behind a tree. "I wonder…" He peered around.

In the light of the moon, the silhouette of a woman moved across on the water's surface, performing intricate moves that looked like dancing.

"…_kuyashikute yubi wo hanasu…"_

"Who is _that_?" Link asked, amazed by the flowing movements. She leapt into the air, then spun around quickly. The more Link watched, the more it looked somewhat like a fighting style…

"…_ano tori wa mada umaku tobenai kedo…"_

"Wow, amazing…" Link blinked. "I wonder if it's okay for me to be watching her…?"

"…_itsuka wa kaze wo kitte shiru…"_

The woman began to move her arms about, causing the water to follow her movements. Link was in awe. "Is…Is that magic? Wait a minute…"

"…_todokanai basho ga mada tooku ni aru…"_

The woman leapt into the air, causing an explosion of water. Link was stunned. "…Could that be…"

"…_negai dake himete mitsumeteru…"_

Fire began to appear around the woman's feet as she danced about. "Her movements…" Link whispered. "Her singing…that language! Yes! I-It's…?!" He stood up and started to run over. "Symphony!!"

The woman suddenly stopped, and the fire disappeared. She jumped back, then vanished into the darkness.

"Symphony, wait! It's me!" Link called as he came to a halt in the spring's water. "Where'd she go?"

"Wh-Where you watching me?"

Link spun around to see a shy Symphony emerging from behind a tree. "W-Well…" He rubbed the back of his head.

Symphony pulled on her shirt. "Wh-Why didn't you say anything…Th-That's not very nice, you know…"

Link turned red. "I-I know, and I'm sorry! But it's just that when I woke up I was trying to find you and then when I walked out I heard some singing and-"

"You were listening to me too?!" Symphony cried. "Link!"

"W-Wait, please don't be mad! I was just-"

She sighed. "N-Never mind, it's done. Just forget it…" She sat down with her feet in the water.

"Oh…" Link sat next to her. "Are you upset?"

"Just stop talking about it."

"Then you are upset…" She turned and gave him a harsh look. "Um…sorry…" They sat quietly. "…You know, it was a pretty song."

"Oh for the love of-"

"I'm serious! Y-You have a um, nice voice."

Symphony looked at him, shaking her head. "What do you want?"

"I-I just…?" What did he want?

"I was in the middle of something, you know that?"

"Y-You were?"

"Yes. But I guess it doesn't matter anymore…"

Link made fists into the sand. "…Do you hate me?"

"What? Where did-"

"I do care about you Symphony, honestly. And you are important to me! I-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down." She got on her knees and took his face in her hands. "Link, are you delirious or something? I really have no clue what you're babbling about. You've been saying things like that since you fought Dark."

"But Symphony I-"

She covered his mouth, then felt his forehead. "Hmm, you don't have a fever…"

Link pulled her hand off. "But Symphony I just want you to know that I-"

She pushed him down and covered his mouth again, her body on his. "Link, whatever it is, I believe you, okay? Just stop bringing it up. You're starting to annoy me." She stared into his eyes. "Okay?" She removed her hand.

"Symphony, please hear me out."

"What?"

"If…If I don't say this to you now, I'm sure it'll drive me crazy. I'll keep wondering about you and me forever."

"Ugh, Link!" Symphony sat back, getting off of him. "Fine, fine. What is it?"

Link sat up. "Dark…Dark told me some…stuff…"

**XXXX**

Symphony watched Link as he finished his story. He looked as if he would cry. "Oh Link…" Symphony whispered, as she got closer. "I…I didn't understand before…But now…"

"Symphony," Link murmured as he took her hands. "Do you believe me?"

"I…Of course I do."

"…Are you telling the truth?"

"Yes. Link, you obviously care about me. You _did_ come after me and you _did_ save me. I know you care…"

"Then…do you trust me? Do you believe I'm a good person?"

"I…" She looked away. "Link…I already told you…it's not…not that easy…" she whispered.

"Then what do you want me to do!?" Link shouted as he jumped up. "What do I have to do to convince you?!"

"I don't know!" Symphony yelled back. "I don't know, okay?!" She looked up at the night sky. "…I guess I'll know the true you when the time comes…"

"Symphony, I don't-"

She got up. "You're the Hero of Legend, aren't you?"

"H-Huh?" He blinked.

"You were able to pull out the Master Sword, so that could only mean one thing…"

"…Symphony…?"

Symphony began to walk away. "Our next destination is Castle Town. You better get some rest after everything that's happened." And she disappeared into the night.

Link just stood there. "…I…"

**XXXX**

"Link," Mayor Bo began, "thank you for saving our home."

"Heh," Link laughed, rubbing his head, "you don't have to thank me. I was just-"

Ilia approached Link. "We must Link. You risked your life after all. And for that…" She kissed his cheek, "…we are grateful." Link blushed, his eyes large.

Symphony just stood by, her arms crossed. "Geez, this is taking forever…"

"Oh, wait!" Mayor Bo exclaimed. "Lady Symphony."

"Huh?" She blinked, a little surprised at the title she was given.

"We all owe you an apology. Right before you returned with Link, that mysterious fellow from before came to us and explained everything. He told us about what you and Link are doing and that people would be after you." He bowed. "I apologize on behalf of the whole village. We were wrong to think that you had a hand in Xenos' plots."

"Mysterious fellow…?" Symphony whispered, but she shook her head. "I don't need an apology," she said, looking away and waving her hand. "I don't care either way."

"Well then, just know that we think of you as a friend. You are always welcome to return to this village, though I'm sure it's not quite like Castle Town." Mayor Bo suddenly turned back to Link. "I almost forgot; that mysterious fellow also returned our goats to us. Should you see him one day, tell him thank you. I'm sure that with plenty of hard work, we'll have this village back to the way it used to be."

"I'll return as soon as I'm done to help," Link said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah." Symphony started to head up the path. "Link, I'm going now. All this praise is making me sick."

"W-Wait, Symphony!" Link called out, but Ilia grabbed his arm. "Huh?"

"L-Link," she started with a blush, "please be safe and come back to us in one piece…I…I'll be waiting for you, okay?"

"I uh…yeah, okay." He turned his attention back to Symphony and ran after her.

Symphony stood by Epona, waiting impatiently. "Link."

"I know, but these people are my family. I have to say good-bye." He got onto Epona. "We're supposed to go to Castle Town, right?" He gave Symphony his hand.

"Yeah," she answered, taking Link's hand and pulling herself onto the horse.

"Then let's go!" He nudged Epona's side. "We're heading to Castle Town girl!" Epona neighed and raced off.

Before long, the pair reached Castle Town, and Link left Epona in the stables.

"I wonder where we should begin to look for the shard," Link said as he walked with Symphony through the crowded streets.

"Hmm, I-"

_GROWL._

The two looked at each other. "Um, Symphony," Link said with a blush. "Did you…Did you happen to grab any food before we left?"

"N-No…We got up so early and I guess _I_ was the one rushing us…"

They both sighed. "We didn't eat any breakfast."

So they reluctantly found themselves wandering into Telma's Bar.

"Telma!" Symphony shouted as plopped down at the bar. "Food!"

"Why, I do believe that is Symphony's voice!" Telma came out of the backroom with a smile. "And I'm right. Oh! And Link's here too!"

"Telma, could we get some food. We didn't eat anything this morning and we're really hungry."

"Oh sure, just wait right there." She went right back into the backroom.

Symphony looked up at the ceiling. "Well Link, we might have a tough time finding the shard in this town."

"I know. Maybe someone has it…" Telma came back and set a plate a food in front of the two. "Thank you Telma." She nodded and got straight back to work.

"That could be a possibility," Symphony said, her mouth stuffed with food.

"You know, you could try to be a little more lady-like," Link whispered.

She swallowed her food. "You are aware that I could hurt you, right?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever." He picked at his food. "Where should we start? How do we go about finding something like that? I mean, someone could mistake it as a piece of jewelry or something. Maybe-"

Symphony turned to her companion. "Link, just stop thinking about it. You need your strength, so just eat right now. We'll worry about the shard when we're done here."

"…Yeah, you're right." And he began to eat.

Two men walked into the bar. "Man, I was so close, but I ran out of time!"

"We'll just have to get some more money somewhere and play again," the other man said. They sat at a table behind Link and Symphony.

"Speaking of money, how much do we have left?"

"Just enough to buy two drinks here and maybe some bread."

"We only have that much left?! Gods, I didn't mean to spend that much money, but I just wanted to win so badly."

"Yeah, that new STAR game is way too challenging. How does that guy expect anyone to win?"

"Maybe he doesn't."

"That bastard. Look…" they began to talk softly, "…maybe we could just, you know, _take_ it."

"You mean steal? No way! My wife is pregnant; I can't afford to go to jail or anything if we get caught. Let's just work as hard as we can this week, then go back and play again."

"Fine, fine. But man, if we had that _jewel_, I'm sure it would sell for big money, then we could get out of this town and live like kings elsewhere and your wife and kid could have all they want. I've been to some really nice towns and they're not that far from this land."

"I know, but we need money before we can even think about that jewel."

"You're right."

Link and Symphony turned to each other, then nodded. They left some rupees on the table and dashed out.

"There's no doubt about it," Symphony said. "That jewel they were talking about is a shard of the Mystic Mirror."

"And it can be won playing the STAR game," Link added. They made their way through the crowded alley and came to the giant tent.

"This place is full of people," Symphony complained as she tried to squeeze through the sea of people.

"It seems like everyone wants to play the game and win the shard." He grabbed Symphony's hand and pulled her along. "But we have to win it before anyone else can." He finally managed to pull Symphony and himself to the front of the tent.

"What is this, new challengers?" the funny looking man announced. "Step right up, come on, come on."

"We'd like to play your game," Link said.

The funny looking man suddenly paused. "Hmm?" _Green hat, green clothes, sword, and blonde hair? Oh no…_ "Y-You! You beat all of my challenges a year ago!"

"I did. And now I would like to try my hand at your new challenge."

"I-Is that s-so?" He began to sweat. _He'll just end up winning and no one will come back! All that money gone like that!_ He mentally snapped his fingers. "N-New price!" he shouted. "It's now _seventy_ rupees to play!" The crowd screamed and hollered. "I know, I know, but that prize is extremely valuable!"

"Ugh, why'd _this_ guy have to get the shard," Symphony hissed.

"Would you still like to play?" he asked Link.

"Yes."

"Eek!" He turned away. "What to do, what to do?" He whipped around back to Link. "That's all fine and dandy, but you cannot enter the ring with weapons or tools of any kind! Nope, not at all."

"Okay," Link said as he began to remove his equipment.

"Eek!" He turned around again. "What to do, what to do?"

"Listen pal," Symphony shouted and she grabbed the man by the shoulder and spun him around. "We don't have your time! Quit making up ludicrous rules and just give us the damn shard! We need it!!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't give it away like that! You don't-" A most genius plan suddenly came to him. "Okay, okay, I have a proposal for you…" He grabbed Link and Symphony and pulled them aside. "My dear boy, why not let this beautiful young woman go first? Hmm?"

Link was surprised. "Uh, her?"

"Me?" Symphony asked as she pointed to herself. "You want me to play?"

"But of course, sweetheart. And I'll even charge you a special price of fifty rupees. However, you only have one chance. After that, neither of you can partake in this wonderful game. How does that sound, love?"

She turned to Link. "What do we do?"

He bit his lower lip. "…Deal."

"Excellent," the man said with a smirk. He walked them over to the door of the cage.

"B-But Link!" Symphony cried. "I don't know how to play!"

The man opened the door. "It's quite simple, really. Just gather all of the flags."

She looked up into the huge cage. There had to be at least twenty-five flags in all. "But…" But the only problem was the flags were all attached to the sides and ceiling of the cage. And worst of all, there were no platforms to use and the floor was covered in sharp spikes. "By the gods, I can't do this!" she exclaimed.

"Yes you can," Link said reassuringly as he grabbed her shoulders. "Look at me. I have faith in you. Just keep your eyes on the prize."

"Link…"

The man pushed Symphony into the doorway. "Alright, missy. You just have to gather all the flags before time runs out. Use the sides of the cage to climb to the flags. Oh, and I'll pull this lever here to make a rope drop down from the top of the cage. You can use that as well."

"Wait, I changed my mind!" Symphony cried. "I don't want to do-"

"You have two minutes," the man said as he pulled a lever and a rope came from the top of the cage. "You better get climbing."

"I have how lo-" He slammed the door shut behind her, sending her forward. "KYAHH!!" She reached out and grabbed the rope before she fell onto the spikes. "I'm gonna die!" Symphony started to cry. "I don't wanna do this anymore!

"And let the music begin!" the man said as he began to turn a strange looking music device.

"C'mon Symphony, you can do it!" Link shouted. The crowd began to cheer and yell.

"I can't do this!" Symphony shrieked as tears streamed down her cheeks and her nose began to run. "I want out!" She began to kick her legs; she was dangling inches above the spikes. "Please! I don't wanna die!" Her kicking caused the rope to swing. "KYAAH!!"

"S-Symphony…" Link called out, his face wearing a look of confusion. "Wh-What are you doing?"

"Noooo!" She cried.

"I-It's okay. K-Keep your eyes on the…on the prize…?"

"Liiiiiink!!"

Link suddenly covered her face. "This is embarrassing…"

"You're down to a minute and thirty seconds, love!" the man shouted. "You haven't gotten a single flag. It looks like you won't be getting that jewel after all!! Heh heh…"

Symphony shut her eyes. "I know I have to get that shard, but this is crazy!" She opened her eyes and looked at Link who was trying his best to cover is face so no one would associate him with the weird blue-haired girl crying and screaming in the cage. "Link said he had faith in me…" She looked up. "I've got to at least try!"

"A minute fifteen, love!"

Symphony let go of the rope and the crowd gasped and screamed in shock. But she disappeared.

"What?!" The man exclaimed as he stopped turning the music device.

Symphony appeared on the left side of the cage and grabbed a handful of flags. She then disappeared again.

Link uncovered his face and looked up. "Symphony?"

She reappeared at the top of the cage and grabbed on. She reached out and gathered up all the flags at the top. She dropped down, then disappeared once again.

Link suddenly wore a huge grin. "Yeah, Symphony!! Go!! Ha ha!!" He pumped a fist into the air. "You can do it!"

"B-But that's impossible!" the man shouted. "How can she do that?!" His plan was starting to fall apart.

"Symphony, there's more flags towards the bottom!" Link pointed out. Symphony continued her pattern of vanishing and appearing in places where there were flags.

"No, no, no!" the funny looking man shouted. "This can't be! My plan!" But something dawned on him. Symphony had ten seconds left and there were ten flags remaining. She had only a second to spend to obtain one flag. And he noticed that it took her two seconds to reappear every time she vanished. "Heh, there's no way she can make it."

"I don't have much time left!" Symphony said to herself. "At this rate, I won't finish…!" An idea popped into her head. "I got it!" She put her hands together as she hung upside-down from the rope. "Sheikan Art of Multiplication: Doppelganger Technique!"

"I win!" I win!" the man laughed as only seven seconds remained. "I knew--WHAT?!" Symphony suddenly split into nine different people. "How is that possible?!"

"Alright girls," Symphony said happily, "let's get these flags!!"

"No problem!!" And all of them, including Symphony, vanished and reappeared near a flag, snatching them up.

"Sh-She did it!" Link cried. "She did it!! She got all the flags! We win!!"

The funny looking man fell to the floor. "…Two seconds left…"

"Good job ladies," Symphony sighed with a smile. "Let's call it a day." They merged back together, and Symphony transported herself outside of the cage in front of Link. "Hee hee, I knew I could do it."

"Sure," he said sarcastically with a grin. He pulled her into a friendly embrace. "You did it."

The man got to his feet and shakily presented a box to Symphony. "Y-Your…Your prize…"

Symphony took a hold of the box. "Thank you…" She tugged on it. "I said thank you…" The man wouldn't let go. "You can give it to me now."

"How could this happen?" he sobbed out.

"Let go of the box!" Symphony shouted as the box suddenly caught on fire.

"GAH!!" the man jumped away.

"Thank you," she said with a smile as the fire suddenly went out.

"J-Just what are you?" the man whispered.

"Your brain wouldn't be able to handle it," Symphony whispered back. She turned to Link. "Well Link, our business here is done. Let's-"

_BOOM!!_

The tent erupted in smoke as the place came crashing down. The people ran screaming, not knowing what was going on.

"What's happening?!" Symphony shouted when she and Link were at a safe distance.

"I don't know, but this can't be good." He put his hand on his sword.

"I bet this is Dark's do--ACK!" Her eyes widened as she fell forward.

"Symhpony!" Link shouted. He spun around. What he saw almost made him fall down. "B-But…Why?! What are you doing?!"

Santino had his hand up. It was obvious that he had hit Symphony in the back of the head. "Hmph."

"Santino!!" Link cried. "What are you doing?! Answer me!!" He moved past Link and grabbed the box with the shard in it. "Santino!"

"N-No…" Symphony managed to say, her mind slowly coming to. "N-No…N-No…" She struggled to open her eyes. "Ughn…" She held onto the box. "No…"

"Let go," Santino said harshly. He stepped on Symphony's hand.

"Get away!!" Link shouted as he swung his sword, but Santino moved.

"Stand down, Hylian. I just want to do this without anyone getting killed.

"Ughn…" Symphony pushed herself up. "Wh-What?"

Santino suddenly moved behind Symphony and pulled her up and away from Link. He whipped out a dagger and pressed it against her neck. "Give me the box, Hylian."

"Santino, stop this!! Can't we just talk?!"

"Give me the box," Santino hissed. He pressed the dagger harder against Symphony's throat. Symphony was still in a daze and couldn't do anything. Santino had hit her hard. "I won't ask again."

"Why are you doing this?!" Link cried.

"D-Don't give h-him the box," Symphony slurred out. "L-Link…"

Santino pressed the dagger even harder against Symphony's neck, drawing blood. "It's your choice Hylian; the box or her life."

"Santino…" Link whispered.

"Why, why, why…" Symphony murmured. "Why…Santino…"

Link picked up the box and threw it to Santino. "Here."

Santino pushed Symphony to the ground and grabbed the box. "Good choice. Remember that the Handsome Master Thief of Hyrule let you live." He vanished.

"Symphony!!" Link screamed as he ran to her.

She struggled to sit up. "Santino…" She held her throat, wiping away the blood. "Ughn…" She passed out.

"Symphony…" Link picked her up and glared. "…Why, Santino?"


	14. Chapter 13: What Used To Be

**Chapter 13: What Used To Be**

Symphony lay awake in Telma's bed. "…" She turned her head when she saw a light under the door.

"So, it was Santino you say?" It was Telma's voice.

"Yes. I don't know why he did it…" And Link's voice.

"That boy…"

"You know him?"

"Of course. He's Symphony's distant cousin." A sigh could be heard. "I don't know what kind of man he's grown into though. The last time I saw him, his mother was scolding him as she pulled him away from Symphony."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I can't say much about the two since I'm sure it would upset Symphony."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I think that Symphony wouldn't want _me_ telling you everything about _her_."

"I don't understand."

"Just ask Symphony, hun."

The door slowly opened and Symphony rolled over, hiding her face from Link and Telma. "…"

Link sighed. "I wonder when she'll start talking to us again."

"Santino has never made her bleed before, so I'm sure the experience was traumatic." Telma sighed. "Symphony… you poor thing, you're in so much pain…" she whispered before facing Link. "Come on, let's let her rest." They left the room and quietly closed the door.

Symphony got out of the bed and walked over to the window. It was raining outside, but a shooting star still dashed across the sky, despite the rain. Her fingertips gently brushed the glass. "I looked up at the night sky alone and saw a comet. It burst out for only an instant and disappeared but if I think about you, my chest feels painful…" she recited softly.

"…I can't see the stars." Symphony shut her eyes. _Santino…my cousin …_

_**X-X-X-X**_

"_Santino, Santino!" The little girl ran through the field. "C'mon!" _

"_Symphony-sama, slow down!" The little boy caught up with her. "You sure are a fast runner, Symphony-sama. Faster than me!"_

_She giggled, "I know."_

"_Now what did you want to show me?"_

_She sat down and looked up at the night sky. "Look up."_

_He looked up. "I see nothing."_

"_Just wait."_

_He sat next to her. "Symphony-sama, we really shouldn't be out in the Hyrule Field alone at night."_

"_Don't be such a fraidy-cat Santino! Besides," the little girl turned to the little boy "You can always protect me."_

"_I-It's not that, Symphony-sama. We'll get in a lot of tro-"_

"_Stop calling me 'sama' will ya?"_

"_But Symphony-sama, I-"_

"_Quit it! I'll get mad if you keep calling me that. We're friends, okay? So there's no need to use formalities."_

"…_R-Right, sorry Symphony." _

_She smiled. "Good. Now be quiet and look up at the sky." They both looked up._

_The dark clouds began to move away, revealing a big, bright moon, and billions of tiny stars. The little girl waited excitedly, for she knew that once every ten years, something spectacular could be seen from the fields of Hyrule. And then it happened. Hundreds of stars began to run across the sky, lighting up the world._

"_Whoa!" The little boy jumped up._

"_It's so beautiful!" The little girl hugged the boy. "Grandma told me about it, but it's so grand, more than I expected."_

"_Wow, thanks for inviting me Symphony."_

"_Well, I didn't want to see it alone, and we're best friends, so of course I would invite you." They faced each other. "From now on, this will be our secret. Every night of the tenth year, we'll come out here and watch the stars fall. This is our houkiboshi, our shooting stars. This will be the light that brightens up the darkness, just for us."_

"_Our hikari."_

_**X-X-X-X**_

Tears began to fall from Symphony's eyes. "Our houkiboshi…Our hikari…" She closed her eyes. "The sky is too dark to see the stars fall…because we're not together…Santino…" She opened her eyes, a determined look on her face. "…I won't let you slip away like our shooting stars." She pushed open the window and leapt out.

**--**

Santino looked out of the window and saw a faint star move across the sky. "This is the night of the tenth year, but our shooting stars are as faint as our bond…Symphony…"

A man burst into the room. "Why so grim Santino?! Huh?!" The man spilled his cup of ale on the floor. "Come down and join us!! This is your celebration, so you should be down there!"

Santino turned to the man. "…Alright, fine." He left the room and descended a set of stairs, coming to a loud party.

"Santino." A man approached him.

"Kyros," Santino answered back.

Kyros put his hands on Santino's shoulders. "Great job today."

"…Thank you."

"That _gift_ was more than enough to prove your loyalty to us, right boys?" The room suddenly got quiet. "Heh." Kyros grinned.

"What's so funny?" Santino asked as he looked around.

"Why you, of course!"

"What?" Santino raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

Kyros turned his back to him and laughed. "I mean, think about it. You're supposed to be the lone 'Master Thief of Hyrule', and here you are again, back to your roots." He whipped around and grabbed the tall Sheikah by the front of the shirt. "You got guts to come back here, kid. After that crap you pulled two years ago, we should kill you right now."

Santino shoved him off. "You value my talents too much to kill me."

Kyros studied him, then punched him in the stomach, knocking him to his knees. "You pathetic excuse of a thief. You gave us what we want, so what makes you think we'd keep you around? Who cares about your talents, they're old news." He got down to Santino's level. "And so are you."

"Hey boss, we caught someone lurking around our hideout!" Two men walked in holding a blue-haired girl.

Santino looked up and his heart stopped. "…!"

"Well, well," Kyros began as he stood up, "what do we have here?" He approached the girl. "What a pretty girl. What's your name?" She spat in his face.

"Boss!!"

Kyros just smirked as he wiped the spit off. "It's okay boys." He struck her. "Now I'll ask again, what's your name?" And she spat in his face again. "Stubborn brat!!" He hit her harder, knocking her to the floor.

"Boss, what a minute," one of the men started.

"What is it?"

"Check out that sash she's wearing."

Kyros took a closer look. "Well I'll be damned." He turned to Santino. "Santino, tell me what her name is. You both wear that crest."

Santino crossed his arms. "…Her name is Symphony."

Symphony winced. "Santino…" She got to her feet and gave Santino a pleading look. "Santino, I don't care about the path you've chosen, but please, give me back the shard. I need it, you know that."

"Sorry, no can do."

"Santino!" She was angry now. "Insolent fool! I am no longer asking you for it. I am _demanding_ that you hand over the shard to me at once!" She crossed her arms. "You forget your place, you wretch."

"Do not speak to me in that tone!" Santino shouted. "You have lost your control many years ago!!"

"Santino, do not test my patience."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Kyros said. "What is this, hmm?" He pushed Symphony against the wall. "I don't doubt that you two know each other, but that which you're asking for cannot be returned. That jewel is mine now, and I have no intention to give it up." He dropped her. "And now the question remains, what should I do with you? You _were_ intruding on our hideout, so the only punishment for that…is death." The men began to cheer. "Death to the intruder, huh?" He smirked. "Excellent."

"Stop!" Santino quickly yelled.

"Hmm?" Everyone looked at him. "Santino, you object? Humph, I should have known. Would you like to join her?"

"No, that's not what I meant." He stepped forward. "Let me do it, let me kill her."

Symphony's heart skipped a beat.

"Why should I?"

"So I can prove my absolute loyalty to you all. I am honest when I say that I wish to rejoin your group once again."

"Is that so?" Kyros pondered for a moment. "…Alright then, kill her right in front of us."

"…Okay." Santino removed his weapons from their places at his sides.

Symphony, having brought no weapon, just pressed herself against the wall. "Santino…"

Santino glared. _Why did you come after me? I spared your life, wasn't that enough?_

Symphony turned her head. _I came to get you._

_What do you mean?_

_I just…I just can't bare the thought of us not being together anymore. We were so close back then. I want you back the way you used to be. I want things back the way they used to be…_

_Life doesn't work that way. Symphony, you want to have stuff your way, but you're not willing to change in return. How can I go back to the way I used to be if you don't go back too? That's not possible._

_Then I can change! Just give me some time…_

_You've run out._ He looked around. _And by the looks of it, so have I. Thanks a lot for making things worse. I don't know how we're going to get out of this._

"What are you waiting for?!" Kyros yelled. "Kill her already!"

"Boss," one of the men began. "Santino sure is hesitant. What if he told this girl to come here so she could distract us while he took back the jewel?"

Kyros looked at Santino cynically. "Hmm, that does seem feasible. Perhaps it is true. I mean, this hideout is pretty hard to find…"

"You guys are hiding out in a condemned ranch on the outskirts of the Eldin Province!" Symphony said sarcastically. "This place isn't that hard to find!"

"Be quiet!" Santino hissed.

Kyros glared. "…Kill them both." The men began to shout happily.

"Thanks a lot for opening your big mouth!" Santino scolded. He pushed Symphony back against the wall and stood in front of her.

"Oh shut up," she shot back. "I have a plan anyway."

"What kind of plan?" he tentatively asked, feeling nervous.

"Watch!" She shoved him out of the way and threw her arms out. "Fire!!" The room suddenly exploded.

**XXXX**

"Get up!"

Symphony sat up when something stung her face. "Y-You!" Santino held his hand up. "You struck me!"

"Well you're up, aren't you?" He turned his gaze to the burning ranch home. "It doesn't surprise me that you'd use too much magic and knock yourself out, but I guess that's progress." He helped Symphony to her feet. "You need to learn how to control your magic flow."

"Then teach me!" she cried.

"N-Now's not the time for that. We have to get out of here before they find us." He took her hand and tried to pull her along.

"Wait, we can't leave! I need that shard!" Symphony implored. "We have to go back!" She tugged on his arm.

"Are you crazy? I'm not running back into some fiery hell hole!" He snatched his hand away. "You go back into that inferno yourself if you want that shard so badly!"

"But you know where it is!"

"I said no!"

"Then just _tell_ me where it is then!"

Santino looked down at Symphony, frustrated. He balled his hands into fists, then stomped the ground. "Fine! But that's as much as I'm going to help you! It's in a chest on the second floor in the storeroom."

"Thank you Santino." She stalled, looking into his crimson eyes, then ran back into the burning home.

Sweat began to roll down his forehead. He chewed on his bottom lip angrily, then dropped to his knees. "GAAH!!" How he wanted to wring Symphony's neck.

Covering his mouth, Santino began to think. If he followed Symphony, there was a possibility that he could die. If he left her, then he'd get away scot-free with his life. But then there was the prospect of eternal guilt if he abandoned a fellow kinsman.

Santino started to pull on his hair. "Why does everything in life have to be a damn life or death choice?!" The clouds began to dissipate overhead. "Man," he whispered. "This better guarantee a spot for me in Sacred Realm in afterlife…"

He sprinted towards the house, running past all the other men. They were too busy running and screaming like little girls to notice the Sheikah. When he reached the house, he took a moment to catch his breath, then charged in.

Once inside, he began to doubt his choice. "Maybe I should have just left her…" The heat was blistering and the flames licked at him. His metal gauntlets didn't make things easier, either. It felt as if his skin was cooking.

Trying to put aside the scorching heat, Santino moved upstairs, avoiding falling debris from the ceiling. Unfortunately, when he came to the door of the storeroom, there were burning beams blocking the path.

"Dammit!" he shouted. He meant to touch his covered lips with his hand to think, but the metal of the gauntlet burned his flesh, even through the cloth of the mask covering the lower half of his face. "Shit, this isn't good. What do I do now?"

The fact that he was a Sheikah didn't dawn on his for a while.

"Oh…" Santino whispered, embarrassed. "That's right." A picture of the storeroom entered his mind, then he teleported.

"Santino!" Symphony blinked when Santino "poofed" into the room. "You came…"

"Hey, I'm just doing this so I can get into the Sacred Realm when I die, okay?" He crossed his arms, blushing.

Symphony smiled as she shook her head. "Okay, whatever you say." Her sleeves where pulled over her hands as she held up the shard. "I got it."

"Then let's get out of here." He took her hand and they both teleported out.

Once outside, Santino sighed. "You didn't really need me, did you?" He was facing Symphony.

She smirked. "No, but I knew you would come after me, trying to be a hero."

"Don't flatter yourself. I would never want to be a hero."

"Then would you rather be a bad guy?"

"No, that's not what I said. I would rather be the guy on the sidelines, laughing and watching the hero and bad guy beat each other to a pulp. Speaking of hero…" It was his turn to smirk. "Where's your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" she suddenly shouted, angry.

Before Santino had a chance to respond, something came right through his torso. His eyes widened as he looked down at the bloody blade.

Symphony was pale, her thoughts flying into a messy tizzy. "S-Santino…"

"No one betrays me and gets away with it!" It was Kyros, and he was furious.

Santino panted as he turned around to face his former boss, the color leaving his face. "You…You son of a bitch…"

He reached for the hilt of the sword behind him, but Symphony stopped him.

"Don't!" she gasped. "You'll only make it worse!"

"But this thing is…it's not…" He fell to the ground.

"Santino!!" she screamed.

"Bwahaha!! Don't cry little girl!" Kyros bellowed. "You'll be joining him!!" He charged at her.

Symphony glared as she just stood there. "You think you're so tough!" she shouted, not taking her eyes off him. "Santino is a much better, stronger thief than you'll ever be!" She held up her hands. "And you want to know why?!"

Kyros was about three feet away from her, a spear drawn.

"Because Sheikahs will always be better than Hylians!"

A sharp, pointed rock burst out of the ground, impaling Kyros.

She put her hands down. "Magic beats brute force all the time."

"Th-That was…cheesy…"

Symphony spun around, gasping. "Santino!!" She knelt down by his side. "You're still alive!"

"What're y-you trying to s-say, huh?" He reached up for the mask and pulled it down, revealing an attractive face. "D-Did you really think that I-I would d-die so easily?" He coughed out blood.

"By the gods, I have to act fast!" She pushed him over onto his side and grabbed the hilt of the sword. "Don't worry, Santino."

"H-Hey! That's g-going to h-hurt if you pull that out!" he shouted.

"Shut up! I'll heal you, okay?!" She took a deep breath, then ripped the sword out, making Santino scream at the top of his lungs. "Relax, relax!!" She quickly summoned her healing arts and laid her hands on the wound. "Recovery spell…cure…"

Santino moaned as the wound began to close up. "God, that hurts so much, you know that?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

And the wound was gone like that, except for the blood.

"There." Symphony took Santino's arm and helped him up. "There might be some pain."

"Some?" Santino repeated, gritting his teeth. "It hurts like hell!!"

"I have some herbs that I can use to lessen the pain. I'll treat you when we get back to Telma's." She walked slowly, not wanting to cause Santino more pain.

"Telma? She's still alive?"

"She's not old you jerk!" she hissed.

"Sorry, it's just that I haven't seen anyone in a long time…" He grunted when a wave of pain washed over him. "Can't we just teleport?"

"Neither of us can do that at the moment. I exhausted my magic."

"Already?"

"I don't have as much as you do!"

"You suck."

And she dropped him to the ground, making him scream once again.

"What the hell was that for!? That hurt!!"

"You're incredibly rude."

Symphony sat next to him, ignoring the fact that he writhing in pain. "Hey, the clouds are clearing up…" She watched the sky. "I wonder…"

A comet streaked across the sky, making her gasp.

"Santino, look! A comet!"

From his lying position on the ground, Santino looked up. "Hey, you're right…"

But no more appeared.

"I guess we missed the others…" he whispered.

They sat quietly, not taking their eyes off the sky. After a moment, Santino turned his head to look at the younger Sheikah. His heart was secretly jumping for joy, though he'd never admit it.

_Symphony, you've grown so much. I never thought I would see the day that you would save me, of all people. Maybe we can make this work after all…_

"I'm sorry I abandoned you," Santino murmured.

Symphony turned to him, stunned. But she didn't respond, she just stared. Theirs eyes remained locked, as if trying to understand something about one another.

"Let's get out of here. I'm sure the Hylian military will be here shortly after that explosion. We don't want to get rounded up with the rest of those low lives." She got back to her feet and helped Santino up. "Besides, I think Link and Telma will be checking on me soon and they're gonna have a spasm when they see that I'm gone."

"That's just like you," Santino chuckled.

Symphony couldn't help but smile. "Yes, it is, isn't it?"

--

A/N: Sorry that I took so long to post this chapter. An excuse is an excuse, so I won't bother explaining why it took so long. Hmm, this chapter didn't end quite like I wanted, now that I reread it, but it's close. Anyway, I would like to thank everyone that's reviewed, favorited, and watched this story. It means a lot to me.


	15. Chapter 14: New Party Member

**Chapter 14: New Party Member**

The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Telma stood in a corner, pinching the area between her eyes. Link and Symphony sat across from one another at the table, just staring. Santino sat in a chair off to the side, scratching at the bandages that covered his torso. His eyes darted from Symphony, to Link, to Telma, and back again. No one spoke; no one even moved. It was so quiet a bug could be heard scurrying across the wooden floor.

Santino finally decided to speak. "So, uh, what's for breakfast?" His voice was muffled by the bandages that covered the lower half of his face.

Link jumped up and slammed his hands on the table, his face red with anger. "What in the gods green earth possessed you to run off in the middle of the night like some crazed lunatic?!"

Symphony crossed her arms and looked away. "Well, someone had to get the shard, so why not me? I can be a hero sometimes too, you know."

He pulled at his hair. "You're absolutely impossible! Don't you ever think before you act?! What if you had gotten hurt? How would I come and help you?!"

"I'm not a damsel in distress!" Symphony yelled, jumping up and slamming her hands on the table as well. "I can take care of myself! Just because you're a man and just a _little_ older than me, you think you're better?! You're such an egotistical, chauvinistic-"

"That's enough!" Telma finally yelled, a small vibration running through the floor. "It is _too_ damn early for all of this shouting."

The room fell silent.

Santino's eyes darted from Symphony, to Link, to Telma, and back again. "Wow."

Link sighed, not feeling well anymore. "Look, I just worry about you. This isn't just your run-of-the-mill villain that we're dealing with- it's my _shadow_! Dark isn't a pushover." He extended his hands out to Symphony. "Just promise me that you won't run off again."

"Don't touch me," Symphony hissed as she smacked his hands away. "You're my partner, not my savior."

"Well, doesn't running off without telling your '_partner_' where you're going defeat the purpose of '_partners_'?" Santino asked, making little quotation marks with his hands every time he said "Partner".

Symphony whipped her head over to him, her eyes black with rage. She reached forward for Link, grabbed him by the shirt collar, swung him away from the table, then shoved him as hard as she could towards Santino.

"Gah!" Link cried as he fell backwards, crushing Santino, and the chair.

"Goddammit!!' Santino screamed. "That hurt!! Get the hell off you Hylian bastard!!" He writhed in pain under Link.

"Alright, stop, stop, stop," Telma growled. "I let you delinquents stay in _my_ home and eat _my_ food, and what do you do? You destroy _my_ stuff! You don't seem to know the meaning of hospitality and respect." She snapped her fingers and pointed to the door, her gaze resting on Symphony. "Out."

"Wh-What?" Symphony asked, taking a step back.

"Outside, right now."

"But I…I…" She couldn't come up with anything.

"Go outside and think about what you've done." She began to shove Symphony out.

"But I'm not some dog that you can just throw out!"

But Telma shoved her out regardless. Now she turned her sights on the two boys. "Stop pushing her buttons!" she commanded. "Leave Symphony alone!"

"But I didn't do anything!" Link pleaded, now standing upright.

"It's fun to push her buttons," Santino said, still sitting on the floor.

Telma backhanded Santino across the face, making Link jump back in shock. "Boy, you better shut your mouth. You know better then to be harassing that poor girl."

Santino held his cheek, stunned. "Wh-What's your problem, ol' ma?"

And she hit him again. "I said shut your mouth."

"A-Are you mad?" Link asked hesitantly.

"What do you think? You broke my favorite chair! That was a gift from Renado!"

"You mean your man candy?" Santino chuckled in a whisper.

And she struck him once more, this time making him bleed from his nose through the bandages wrapped around his face. "You're a glutton for punishment, ain't cha?"

"I'm sorry," Link whispered, taking note of the patch of blood that grew and grew on Santino's bandages.

"Goddammit," Santino mumbled as he turned away from Link and Telma, trying to hide his face. He began to remove the bandages.

"I'm not afraid of the sight of blood, you know," Link informed.

"No, that's not it," Telma whispered, a look of shock on her face. "Santino, you still…practice the ways?"

"Geez, don't make such a big deal about it. It's just a habit that's hard to get rid of, that's all."

"Don't lie. I know you haven't given up the traditions. We're all proud of our heritage." She smiled.

"What traditions?" Link asked.

"Now you got the Hylian asking questions, damn." He turned back around, covering the lower half of his face with his hands. "Telma, go get me some more bandages or a cloth or something."

"I guess you're not such a bad kid after all," she said, shrugging. She walked into the kitchen.

"Explain," Link said, returning to one of the chairs at the table.

Santino rolled his eyes. "In my culture, men have to cover their faces when they come of age. After we become of age, we're not allowed to show our faces again, with a few exceptions of course. It's so that the enemy can't tell who we are."

"But you came in here last night with your face exposed…"

"Shut up!! I was dying! I wanted the world to see how sexy I was before I went!"

"But you didn't die."

"I said shut up!!"

"Settle down," Telma said as she returned with a rag in hand. She tossed it to Santino, shaking her head. "Honestly, you three belong together. You all are so noisy and you all overreact." She turned to Link. "So where are you guys headed now?"

"Um, I think the next place we have to go to is the Peak Province." He stood up and stretched. "I guess we should be heading out now. There's no time to waste."

"Right," Telma agreed with a nod. "Don't forget to stock up before you take off."

**XXXX**

Link and Symphony stood before Telma and Santino in front of Telma's home.

"Thanks again Telma," Symphony said as she hugged Telma.

"No problem. All in all, you three are good kids, I know." She smirked.

"And sorry again about your chair," Link said as he shook Telma's hand.

"It's fine. I'm sure Renado can make me a new one."

Link turned to Santino, his face stern. "Santino, why don't you come with us?"

Santino blinked. "Huh?"

Symphony looked down. _Santino, you should come. Don't you want to catch up after all these years?_

He looked up. _Symphony…_

"Santino, are you coming or not?" Link asked again.

Santino folded his arms. "I'm not…much of the hero type. I'm just a thief, a wanted criminal. I can't really…help you guys."

"You can think of this as a way to atone for your sins," Link said, his voice hushed.

"…I'd only slow you guys down. I think I'll pass."

Link sighed. "Alright then, I won't say anymore."

Symphony adjusted her messenger bag. "We'll…see you around then." And the two of them walked off.

"You're going to go, aren't you?" Telma asked Santino.

"I don't know if I should. Symphony is…"

She turned to him and touched his arm. "Go with them. I have this unsettling feeling…"

"Unsettling feeling?" He looked at her. "Like what?"

"Well, I just think it would be best if they have another person join them. Two might not be enough…"

"Telma…tell the truth."

She bit her lip. "Santino…you won't like it."

"I don't care, just tell me."

--

"Link, wait," Symphony said as she grabbed his arm.

"What is it?"

She blushed. "Well, uh, I have some, um, business to take care of…"

"What kind of business?"

She looked around frantically. "U-Um…"

"Symphony."

She put her head down. "Just follow me." She took his arm and led him over to Fanadi's Fortunes.

"H-Here?" Link asked.

She pulled him inside and jumped before Fanadi. "Hi Fanadi."

"Oooh, it's yoooou Symphony. Hoooow can I help yoooou tooooday?" Fanadi said, waving her hands.

"Yeah, yeah, you can skip that stuff. I came here for a fortune."

"Love or career, sweetheart?"

Symphony blushed again. "Love."

"Love, you say? Excellent." She held out her hand. "Fortune telling fee."

"Yes, of course." She handed over ten rupees with a smile.

"tiaw gnidaol sekat elihwa," Fanadi chanted as she waved her hands around the crystal ball. "AH-HA!"

"What, what?" Symphony asked with her hands tightly clasped.

"Oh boy…" Link whispered as he rolled his eyes.

"I can see your love…He is…very close…the time is near…"

"What does he look like?" Symphony asked as she leaned against the table.

"He's incredibly handsome…"

"Handsome?" She squealed in delight. "What color are his eyes? Or his hair?! Oooh! Fanadi, tell me everything!!"

"Of course. I see…blue…"

"Blue what? Blue what?!"

"Blue-"

"This has got to be the biggest load of _crap_ I've ever heard in my life."

Link and Symphony spun around. "Santino?!"

Santino pulled down the hood of his cloak. "The one and only." He smirked.

"Well if it isn't that little brigand, Santino. I haven't seen you in ages," Fanadi said bitterly. "Just what do you mean by 'crap', huh?"

"All of this fortune telling stuff. You're just a Sheikah, not some mystical wonder."

"Santino!" Symphony gasped. "Don't be rude."

"And you, Symphony. Why would you pay money for this? You're a Sheikah too. If you just refined your abilities, you could do the same thing."

"What're you trying to say?" Fanadi asked. "You have mastered this ability as well?"

"I'm the greatest Sheikah that's ever lived. Of course I have."

"Narcissistic little bastard."

Santino crossed his arms in a huff. "Symphony, why would you trust _her_ fortunes? Remember the way she used to look eleven years ago? She obviously isn't that good if she couldn't foresee herself getting _fat_."

The room fell deathly silent. Both Link and Symphony were shocked, their mouths open. Fanadi, on the other hand, was far from shocked. She was _enraged_.

"SANTINO!!"

**XXXX**

"She's a crazy bitch," Santino whined as he rubbed his swollen face. "Why didn't you guys protect me or something?!"

"It's what you deserve," Symphony said matter-of-factly.

"You were asking for it," Link added.

The three stopped under a tree in the fields of Hyrule. The sun was high and the weather was warm- perfect adventure conditions. The buzz of the insects and the calls of the birds echoed through the air. The grass was a bit yellow, indicating summer's arrival in the land of Hyrule.

Symphony undid the sash around her waist and let her robe-like top hang open, revealing the leather top she wore underneath. "So, anyone know how to get to Snow Peak?"

"I do," Link answered, adjusting his hat.

"Figures as much. He _is_ the Hero of Legend after all," Santino said, pulling off his cloak.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. It's just a little hard to believe that Link's the…you know," Symphony whispered.

"Why is that hard to believe?" Link asked, confused.

"Never mind. Just forget I said anything."

"Enough chitchat, let's get going," Santino said as he moved from under the shade. "C'mon fearless leader, lead the way."

"Okay, I'm coming." Link said as he began to head down the dirt road. "There's a little path in this field that leads to the home of the Zora's. That's where the entrance to the Peak Province is."

"Huh, I would have never guessed _that_," Symphony said as she walked by Link's side.

They continued down the road in silence, mostly just observing the world around them. Yes, Hyrule Field was a very beautiful place, blessed by the goddesses. Even as the foliage began to yellow, it was striking.

"So," Link began, breaking the silence. "Santino, are you going to stay with us?"

"I guess I will," Santino answered with a shrug. "Besides, someone has to look out for you idiots."

"Hey?!" Symphony and Link shouted in unison.

Santino chuckled. "I kid, I kid." He sighed and folded his hands behind his head. "Today feels like a lazy day."

"Evil doesn't rest," Link mumbled.

Symphony looked at the two and smiled. She veiled her thoughts, not wanting Santino to overhear. _This is…nice. I know that the world is probably in danger right now, but traveling with these two isn't too bad. I'm back with my cousin and I'm traveling with a Hylian that doesn't seem half bad. Yes…I think I trust him now. Link is a…good person._ She looked up when a breeze ruffled her hair. There wasn't a single cloud in that vast, pristine blue sky.


	16. Chapter 15: Illness

**Chapter 15: Illness**

"Here," Santino said as he handed Symphony his cloak.

"Th-Thanks," Symphony muttered as she took the cloak and slipped it on.

"Honestly, Symphony," Link sighed out. "You should have dressed better."

"Sh-Shut up!" she shouted, her teeth chattering. "The weather was fine before we got here!" She trudged by the boys, sniffling. "Don't worry about me so much, anyway. I'll be fine."

"You could die out here, you know," Santino pointed out as he wrapped his scarf around Symphony's mouth and nose.

"Sh-Sh-Shut up!" she shouted again, this time her voice hoarse and squeaky. "D-Dammit…" Snow fell into her boots, making her yelp. "Dammit all!"

"Oh boy," Santino mumbled.

"We're almost to the top," Link announced as he tried to pull Symphony out of the snow. "I'll be more than happy to give you a lift." She obliged by not saying a word as Link picked her up.

"Remind me again why we're going all the way to the top of Snow Peak," Santino said with a sniffle.

"We have to go see Yeto and Yeta. They might know something about the shard."

"They better know something or else," Symphony hissed. "A-A-ACHOO!!" She buried her face into Link's chest, sniffling again.

"Ew, germs," Link whispered as he tried to look away.

"Geez, you really _are_ getting sick," Santino groaned. "We don't need this."

"Stop talking!" Symphony shouted to him. She suddenly put her hands to her throat, a stinging, burning sensation making her wince.

"Settle down, Symphony." Link quickened his pace when he saw that oh so familiar tree. "We made it!" He let Symphony down and walked up towards the tree.

"Yeah, but now what?" Santino asked as he looked down. "The hell?! We still got a long way to go! Goddammit Link, you lied to us!"

"What?!" Symphony squeaked out. "_Link_!!"

"Relax, relax!" Link pleaded with his hands up. "It's nothing but smooth sailing from here on out. It shouldn't take us more than three minutes to get down there."

"And how the hell do you figure that, genius?" Santino asked bitterly, his arms crossed.

"Take a look at this," Link said with a smirk as he delivered a well placed kick to the tree. A crystallized leaf fell to the ground, not a scratch on it.

"What is that?" Santino got closer to the leaf. "That thing is huge…"

"This _thing_," Link began, "is our mode of transportation."

"You gotta be shittin' me," Santino moaned. "That does _not_ look safe _at all_."

"Ah haff ta uh-gree wit Santino," Symphony sniffled. "'Ee haz uh point."

"Damn, you're getting worse by the second," Santino whispered. He looked back down at the leaf. "But…"

"I've used this thing plenty of times before. It's as solid as a rock and perfectly safe," Link said reassuringly. "Besides, the sun is beginning to set. If we tried to go down there by foot, it'd be pitch black and we'd still have a long way to go. Trust me, this is the fastest way."

"Alright." Santino also kicked the tree, getting a leaf in return. He put his foot on it. "This might be interesting after all…"

"You too, Symphony," Link said as he pointed to the tree.

"Uh-uh. Ah am _not_ ridin' tha' thin' down thar. Ah'll die."

"You won't die, trust me!"

"Ah sa' nu!" She coughed. "Be-size, ah dun feel so goo'."

"Hmm…"

"I don't think it's safe for her to ride one of these things down there in her condition," Santino said seriously.

Link caught Symphony as she fell into his arms. "Symphony? Damn, you're right. I'll carry her down." Santino nodded. "Symphony?"

"Uh?" She put her head up.

"I want you to climb onto my back."

"Uh…" She used all her might to hoist herself onto Link's back (with a little help from the hero of course).

"We have to get her somewhere warm," Link said. "She really _could_ die out here."

"…I know."

And they were off. Link tried his best to keep Symphony on his back and stay balanced the whole ride down. Santino went faster, though, without having to carry extra weight. When they reached the bottom, Link pulled Symphony into his arms and began to head up the steps with Santino ahead of him. They ran inside, shouting for help.

"Yeto! Yeta!" Link cried. "It's me, Link! I need help!"

"Oh my, uh! Link!" Yeta came down the stairs in a hurry. "What wrong, uh?"

"It's our friend, she's ill," Link answered as he showed Symphony to Yeta.

"You right, uh. Very ill. Come inside and we take care her, uh." She led them further in. "Put girl in chair, uh."

Link removed her messenger bag and unhooked her mace from her sash before he set her down by the fireplace.

Santino began to look around. "Do you have any blankets?"

"Uh, this way." She led Santino into another room.

"Symphony, can you here me?" Link called out as he knelt before Symphony.

"Link…" She weakly opened her eyes.

He patted her hand. "You're still with us, good."

"Coming through." Santino came back into the room and began to wrap Symphony in several blankets.

"Yeta, where's Yeto?" Link asked.

"Yeto went get Snow Potatoes," She answered as she began to head to the kitchen. "Link help get tub of warm water, uh?"

"Oh, sure." He followed her.

"S-Snow Pota'oes?" Symphony repeated.

"Shh, Symphony, you need to shut up and rest now," Santino said as he pulled a smaller blanket up to her mouth.

"Nu, nu, Snow Pota'oes. Ah know 'bout them..."

"Please, Symphony, just be quiet."

"Nghnn…"

"This help, uh." Yeta came back in with a warm, damp cloth and placed it on Symphony's forehead.

Link carried in a tub of warm water and placed it down beside Symphony's chair. Santino pulled off Symphony's boots and held her feet up while Link slid the tub under her feet. Santino gently placed her feet in the water.

"Girl got sick from cold, uh?" Yeta asked as she patted Symphony's head with the cloth.

"Yeah. I guess we weren't really prepared…" Link said in a whisper.

Santino sat down on the floor by the fire. "Well Link, now what? We're down a man…er…girl."

"Hmm, you're right…"

"When Yeto get back he make soup for girl and she get better, uh. Snow Potatoes are best, uh," Yeta said with a smile.

"S-Snow…" Symphony mumbled.

"She must be delirious…" Santino mumbled.

And so they waited for an hour, every so often checking on Symphony and checking her temperature. Even though she was by the fireplace, wrapped in blankets, and her feet in warm water, she was still cold. Yeta had left in order to wait for Yeto and it was Link's and Santino's job to watch Symphony.

"Why can't Symphony use her magic to get better?" Link asked. He rested his head on the arm of the chair Symphony was sitting in.

"Illness is a lot different than wounds," Santino began. "You see, Symphony only seems to know healing arts that heal wounds. She went around as a medicine woman for a while and I'm sure you remember that wooden box she used to carry. That was full of medicines to cure illnesses. Now, with practice or under the right circumstances, I'm sure she could learn a spell like _Panacea_ to heal sickness, but only the best of the best white mages can learn that spell." He stuck his finger in the water Symphony had her feet in. "Hmm, it's starting to cool down." He whispered some words and the water began to bubble.

"What're you doing?" Link asked, putting his head up.

"Just warming up the water." He removed his finger. "Magic is very versatile."

They sat there quietly for a moment before Link spoke. "I thought Symphony _is_ one of the best white mages."

"I'll admit, she's up there, but not _up there_." He raised his hand for emphasis. "She's a lot better than other white mages I've met, but she still has a long way to go." He looked at her. "I think she's been concentrating on black arts rather than refining her healing lately. Maybe it has something to do with her thinking that she's not very useful…"

"What?"

"I just caught a glimpse of her thoughts now and she thinks that she's not very useful. She thinks that demon mace of hers and her healing arts aren't enough to help us…" He tilted his head. "…And she…wants to be as good as me…" He shook his head.

"Are you good, Santino?"

"Well, I _am_ the best black mage in the Sheikah tribe."

Link rolled his eyes. "Don't be so full of yourself."

"You don't know _a thing_ about magic, so don't act like I'm not as good as I say I am."

They crossed their arms and looked away in a huff.

"LINK, UH!"

Link turned around. "Gah!!"

Yeto grabbed Link and pulled him in a painful hug. "LINK, NO SEE IN LONG TIME, UH!"

He dropped Link. "Y-Yeah…" Link said as he tried to get air into his almost crushed lungs.

"What's up?" Santino greeted. "I'm-"

"FRIEND OF LINK, UH? THAT MAKE YOU FRIEND OF YETO TOO, UH!!" He scooped Santino up as well.

"Let me go!!" Santino shouted. "You're crushing me!"

"Let go, Yeto, uh?" Yeta giggled.

"SORRY, UH." He dropped him.

"Gods," Santino groaned as he tried to get to his feet.

"THIS SICK GIRL," Yeto said, trying to be quiet as he looked at Symphony. "YETO FEEL BAD NOW, UH."

"Why?" Link asked.

"YETO TRY HARD, BUT NO COULD GET SNOW POTATOES, UH."

"Darkness still hinder path, uh?" Yeta asked.

"Darkness?" Link repeated.

"Evil things in cave where snow potatoes are, uh," Yeta responded in a quiet voice.

Link and Santino looked at each other. "The shard."

"Shard, uh?"

"I remember now," Symphony said as she sat up. Everyone turned to her, stunned. "Snow Potatoes are a rare vegetable that have remarkable healing powers. I'm sure if I were to eat one, not only would I get better, but I could increase my healing powers." She looked down. "And if the shard is where the potatoes are then…" She put her head up. "Let me go with you!"

"Stop right there." Link and Santino held out their hands as if to stop traffic. "You've just barely recovered and you want to go back out into the cold?!"

Santino pushed her back into the chair. "I'm going to act like the older cousin for a moment right now and tell you to stay here and rest. You might be feeling better, but with your health the way it is, your magic flow is unstable. You could end up slowing us down, or killing us, depending if your magic flow suddenly fizzles or explodes."

She glared. "Santino, why can't you have some faith in me?"

He leaned forward. "You're sick, you idiot!! Do you want me to spell it out for you?! You're of no use to us _at all_ in your condition! All you're good for right now is sitting around and coughing and sneezing!"

"Santino!!" Link hissed. "What the hell?!"

Symphony put her head down. "Link…he's right." She pulled the blankets up over her head. "Just go." She sniffled.

"Let's go Link. We don't have a moment to lose." He began to head out.

"Santino, you were too hard on her!" Link growled as he followed Santino out.

"Poor girl, uh," Yeta whispered as she walked over to Symphony. "Yeto make you good soup for now, uh?"

"…Okay."

"I MAKE BEST SOUP EVER, UH!" Yeto ran into the kitchen.

"Boys just want you be safe, uh," Yeta said in a kind voice. "They scared to lose you to illness."

"…I know."

**XXXX**

Symphony sat in the chair, staring at the fire. She looked around with a sigh. Yeta and Yeto were asleep. "It must be late and they're not back…" She threw the blankets off and slipped on her boots. "I can't just sit here…" She picked up her mace and rotated her neck. "Damn…"

_It would be in your best interest if you did._

Symphony's eyes widened as violent cough shook her body. She covered her mouth in an attempt to silence the coughs, but it was futile.

"Symphony, you okay, uh?" Yeta approached her.

Symphony pulled her hands away and looked at them. They were colored crimson. "N-No…"

"You hurt, uh?!"

"No!!" She bolted, running out of the huge mansion. She stopped when she was outside, the moon giving her light. "What's happening to me?"

_Up here, love._

"Who's there?!" She spun around and caught a glimpse of something on the roof. "An enemy perhaps?" She teleported up, but didn't find anyone. "…Am I hearing things?"

_Nope, you just have to keep up._

She caught another glimpse of something…or someone. "Stop!!"

She continued up the roof, following the voice that seemed to speak into her ear. She came to the tower of the huge bedroom and stopped, feeling a presence very close. "Alright, why don't you show yourself?"

"You did pretty well for someone so sick." And Dark emerged from the shadows, stepping into the light of the moon. "Hey, love. I haven't seen you in a while."

She gasped. "Dark…"

"Yes?" He began to approach her. "Miss me?"

"Hardly." She held her mace tightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Official business." They were inches apart. "You're making things harder than they should be."

"Good." Fire suddenly appeared at her feet, making Dark jump back. "I can prove my worth if I kill you now."

"Is that any way a lady should talk?" He unsheathed his sword. "I don't want to kill you, so maybe I'll just knock you out."

"Try you best." The spiked ball of her mace fell to the ground with a loud thud. "Tama, help me out."

The ball came to life, letting out a guttural sound. "BLOOD!!"

"Oh how I despise that thing," Dark growled. "Oh well."

"Tama attack!!" The mace lunged forward at Dark, but he moved. "Heh." Symphony closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"This is no time to be cocky." Dark appeared to her left and charged at her.

"You're right!" She held out her left hand. "Thunder!" Lightning touched down and nearly hit Dark, but he moved again. "It's not over." Lightning bolts fell from the sky, chasing Dark around. _Now's my chance!_

"How annoying!" Dark shouted as he dodged two bolts.

"Gotcha!"

He spun around and froze when he saw Symphony behind him. "Shit."

"Go Tama!!"

"BLOOOOOD!!" The demon mace rushed forward and clamped onto Dark's chest, making him yell.

"Alright Tama! Let's finish him!" She pulled on the chain of the mace and touched Dark's forehead with her left index finger. "Electric Shock!" A bolt of electricity shot from her finger, sending Dark flying back. Dark was ripped from Tama's mouth, blood splattering to the ground, coloring the snow red.

"Yes!" Symphony pulled Tama back. "This is it Tama, the finishing blow. Take off his head, okay?"

"HHRRRGHH!!"

"H-Heh, it's not over yet." Dark got to his feet clutching his wound. "Y-You have gotten better, truly. It's a-always the ones that struggle in the b-beginning that become powerful in the e-end." He held out his hand. "But, my dear, you're really not as strong as me." He smirked. "Gravity."

An invisible force suddenly smashed Tama against the ground, instantly making him turn back into a simple mace.

"No! Tama! Wake up!" Symphony cried. Another invisible blow knocked her back, making her lose her grip on her weapon. She caught herself before she fell off the roof and climbed up. "Wh-What was that?"

"Would you like some help?" Dark grabbed her arm and threw her to the other side of the roof, her body heading straight for a wall.

"Dammit, I can't lose!" She summoned her telekinetic powers and landed with her feet to the wall. "I've got to give it everything I've got!" She jumped off the wall and placed her hands over her shadow. Needles emerged and she grabbed them. "Ha!" She threw them at Dark, but he put up his shield to block them. This allowed her to vanish.

"Hmph, what a little hell cat." He spun around and put up his shield, this time daggers made of ice flying at him.

Symphony glared. _He's anticipating my attacks now…Or is it that I'm getting sloppy?_ She dropped to one knee to breathe. _This sickness isn't making things easy._

"Why don't you just give up right now?" Dark asked with a smirk. "It'll be easier if you do."

"No." She got up. _There's no way I could fight him hand-to-hand. I'm running out of options…_ She suddenly made clones of herself. "FIRE!!" The clones contributed to the attack as well. The spot where Dark stood exploded in flames, melting all the snow. "D-Did I get him?" The clones disappeared. "I can't…keep going…"

"The just let me win!" Dark appeared behind her and grabbed her. "You hardly have any magic left in that sick, fragile body of yours. How do you plan to defeat me?"

She struggled against him. "I'll think of something!"

He sighed. "You're such a nuisance, what with your powers increasing everyday. I know!" He looked her straight into the eyes. "I'll just take it from you."

Her eyes widened. "N-No…" Everything began to fade out. "M-My…power…"

_**X-X-X-X**_

"_Wh-Where am I?" Symphony looked around. "It's so dark in here…"_

"_Symphony."_

_She turned to her right. "I window?" She walked over to it and peered in. "Sis someone call me?"_

"_Symphony."_

"_Who's there?"_

"_Open the window."_

_She hesitated._

"_Open the window."_

_Her hands rested on the sill. "It's so dark in here."_

"_Open the window."_

_Trembling, she slowly raised the window. "What do you want?"_

"…"

"_Hello?"_

"_Your soul."_

_Hands reached through the window, wrapping around her neck._

"_AIIIIEEE!!"_

_**X-X-X-X**_

"Symphony! Symphony!" Yeta tried to hold down Symphony, but she kicked and screamed. "Symphony, you dreaming bad dream, uh! Symphony!"

Yeto placed one hand on Symphony to help. "SYMPHONY, UH! WAKE UP, UH!!"

Her head rolled to the side, her body falling limp.

"Symphony, uh?" Yeta whispered.

"SHE…DIE, UH?" Yeto asked hesitantly.

"I not know…"

Markings began to appear on the right side of her face.

"WHAT THAT, UH?!"

They took a step back as the markings spread. "What happen to her outside, uh?"

"SHE NOT SAFE. I FEEL SOMETHING EVIL, UH."

"Tell Link, uh?"

"WE MUST, UH. SHE DANGEROUS."

They left the room and locked the door.


	17. Chapter 16:Horizons

**Chapter 16: Horizons**

Link walked into the Snow Peak mansion with Santino trailing behind him. "Yeto? Yeta? Hello?" He looked around, shaking snow from his cap. "Huh, how strange."

Santino put down a sack. "Damn, these Snow Potatoes are really heavy. Maybe I should have carried the shard."

"But I thought you're not supposed to touch it."

"I'm wearing gauntlets for a reason."

Yeta appeared from a door to their left, a serious look on her face. "You back, uh."

"Yep! We got the potatoes _and_ the shard," Link said with a happy thumbs up. "As soon as Symphony gets better, we'll be going."

"I must speak about Symphony, uh." Her eyes darted from the left to the right, anxious.

"Hmm?" Link's smile faded. "What's wrong?"

Santino raised a brow. _Something's not right but what…?_ He crossed his arms and rubbed the back of his right leg with his left foot.

"Symphony not safe, uh."

"What do you mean '_not safe_'?" Link took a step forward.

_Not safe?! What did they see?!_ Santino started to laugh. "Why don't you go see her for yourself, huh Link?" He began to push Link towards the door that lead to the room Symphony was in. "You can tell her all about your epic battle and what not."

"But I need tell Link about Symphony," Yeta said.

Santino kept smiling. "Oh you can tell me, it's fine."

"S-Santino!" Link was pushing himself away from the door. "Watch what you're doing!"

"Oh…" He released Link. "Yeah, just tell me and I'll get the message to Link." He shook the door knob. "Why is this locked?"

"What I have say is important!" Yeta cried.

Link sighed. "It's alright Yeta. I'll check on Symphony and you can tell Santino. Please unlock the door."

She sighed but opened the door nonetheless. "Fine, I speak to Santino, uh."

"Thank you." Link hurried in and stopped by the chair. "Symphony? You awake?"

Symphony opened her eyes and turned her head to him. "Link?"

"Hey." He knelt down. "How you feeling?"

She looked at her hands. "…I don't know…"

"Huh? Can you speak up?"

"…I still feel a bit light-headed and my throat's a bit sore." She tried to smile. "But I feel better than earlier."

"I'm glad. Hey, we got the Snow Potatoes so we'll give them to Yeto so he can make you some soup."

"And the shard?"

"Got that too. You'll never believe what we had to go through to get it!"

"Uh-huh." She turned her head to the fireplace. "Tell me."

"Well, first we had to climb the mountain behind this mansion. Next we had to go into the cave at the top and, let me tell you, Santino chickened out! I thought he would be helpful, but he didn't do _a thing_! He said that he would be the 'look out.'"-he made quotation marks in the air- "So I had to go into that dark cave with my lantern, but it didn't give too much light. It was difficult in there and it turned out that it Snow Wolfos were the ones guarding the shard- they love the dark after all. But I had to fight two packs that were apparently sharing the cave. I broke my lantern so I had to fight in the dark. Luckily there was a crevice of light and I was able to see the reflection of the Wolfos' eyes. So I eventually beat them and got the shard. When I came out Santino had apparently found the potatoes and we had to climb back down the-"

Symphony turned back to Link and took his face in her hands.

Link's eyes widened. "What're you doing?" She stared at him straight in the eyes. "Symphony?" He wanted to look away, but he was captivated by her crimson eyes.

After what seemed like an eternity, Symphony released him with a frustrated sigh. "Damn."

Link rubbed his face. "What's wrong?"

"You're hurt."

He pointed to his face. "These? Naw, they're not that bad; just a few scratches here and there."

"Symphony, soup time!" Santino sang as he waltzed into the room with a bowl. "Yeto cooks pretty fast, so eat up." He placed the bowl in her hands and shoved a spoon in her mouth.

"Mmmf!?" She ripped the spoon out of her mouth, her brow furrowed angrily.

"Yeah, just hurry up and eat already little cousin. We don't need to be here any longer than necessary."

"He does have a point," Link said with a nod. "We still don't know anything about the other four shards."

She took a deep breath, then nodded.

**XXXX**

"How strange that they didn't want to see us off," Link said in a whisper as he walked down the steps of the mansion.

"Well, no use crying over spilled milk," Santino said quickly. "Let's just go."

"How exactly are we supposed to get back up this mountain, hmm?" Symphony asked with her arms crossed.

"Geez Symphony, are you using your brain _at all_?" Santino asked mockingly.

"Wh-What?! How dare you!" she snapped back.

"We'll just teleport our way there."

She looked down. _Teleport?_

"That's right, teleport."

She looked at him, shocked. "Santino! Please stop! I didn't give you permission to read my mind!"

He put his hands up in defense. "Sorry, sorry. Why don't you just put a barrier up then?"

Her eyebrow twitched. "Oh…yes…" There was no way that she could tell them about what happened…About how she…lost her powers.

"Well?" Santino said.

"I just recovered from a grave illness and you want me to teleport us up there?! Inconsiderate jerk!" Symphony shouted as she pointed at him.

"Let's just get going guys," Link sighed out, tired of their constant squabbling.

"Yeah, yeah." Santino took both their hands and disappeared.

They continued teleporting up the mountain, only stopping so Santino could picture the next path in his mind. But once they reached the top of the peak, Santino kept teleporting. He had stated that it would be much faster if he just brought then back to Zora's Domain. And he did.

Santino collapsed to the ground, panting. "O-Okay, here we are…"

Symphony wiped a few droplets of water from her forehead. "You okay Santino?"

"I'm fine, I just almost exhausted my magic. It'll replenish after a while." Symphony helped him up.

"Alright then. We need to see Princess Zelda about the other shards, don't we?" Link said as they headed out of the domain.

"Yeah. Remember, I saw that ocean…"

"Ocean, huh?" Link repeated. "Have you guys been across an ocean before?"

"Plenty of times," the Sheikahs answered in unison.

"Oh, that's right, the traveling."

They made their way from Lake Hylia and arrived quickly to the fields of Hyrule. From there, they entered the bustling Castle Town.

"Hey, guys?" Symphony began hesitantly.

"Yes?" Link turned to her. "What is it?"

"I…need to go see Telma, if that's alright."

"Oh, then we'll go with you," Link responded with a smile.

"No, you guys should go see Zelda now, we can't waste anymore time."

"But Symphony-"

"Please Link, just go."

"We'll meet her at Telma's when we've taken care of things," Santino finally said, putting his hand on Link's shoulder.

"Okay then, if you two insist. We won't be long."

"Right." She nodded at the two and walked towards Telma's Bar.

"Well Link, let's continue," Santino said as he pulled on the hood of his cloak. "I just hope I don't get busted. I _am_ the Handsome Master Thief of Hyrule, after all."

Link sighed and shook his head. "The company I keep…"

They maneuvered their way through the crowded streets and approached the gates of the castle. Two guards were standing regally, their faces stern.

"Halt, what business do the two of you have at the castle?" one of the guards asked, his spear drawn.

"We wish to speak to Princess Zelda. There is something urgent that she must know about," Link answered in a dignified voice.

Santino looked around hesitantly. _Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to come with him. Do I look suspicious? What if they ask to see my face!?_

"We will be glad to impart the message to her Highness," the other guard replied.

"You don't seem to understand who I am," Link said with a light smile. "I am Link of Ordon."

"Link of Ordon?" The two guards turned their backs on the young men, whispering something.

"Are you sure this will work?" Santino whispered to Link.

"Just trust me."

The two guards faced them. "Link of Ordon? Her Highness has named you as her personal guest, so you may enter." The pushed the gates open and stepped aside.

"Thank you kindly." Link continued, his back straight and his face noble.

Santino followed him closely, but was suddenly stopped. "Hmm?"

"And just where do you think you are going?" the guards asked with their spears blocking his way. "You are quite shady looking. Identify yourself!"

"Leave him be," Link said without raising his voice. "He is…my attendant."

Santino glared. "Oh…yes, I am Master Link's devout servant."

"Oh, our apologies. You may enter." They stood off to the side.

Santino caught up to Link. "Attendant? I never imagined the great Hero of Legend to be such a little liar." He elbowed him.

Link frowned. "Please don't call me that. It was a little white lie, that's all. Trust me, it's for the good of Hyrule."

They entered the lavished castle, many people walking about. They all seemed very busy, documents and books in hand.

"This way," Link said as he motioned to Santino.

Santino looked around. "This place is busy during the day…"

The pair walked up a set of stairs and went through many rooms. No one even seemed to notice them, servants and soldiers alike. But that was fine as far as Link and Santino were concerned, they didn't have time to be stopped and asked many questions.

Link stopped in front of an extravagant door, a soldier standing in front.

"Excuse me sir, we are here on official business. We must speak to Princess Zelda."

"Oh, is that so? Then you must be a prince or a high ranking noble," the soldier said bitterly. "Are you?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then be gone!" he shouted. "Commoners have no business having an audience with her Highness."

"Now wait just a minute!" Santino shouted. "Link is far from a commoner and much better that a prince or noble!"

"Santino, please keep your voice down…" Link tried to smile at the soldier. "Please forgive him he's a bit touched in the head, you see."

"Link, you can't have this guy treating you like this! C'mon, defend your honor!"

"Santino!"

"Santino?" the soldier repeated. "You seem familiar." He moved forward to examine the Sheikah. "Like…a wanted criminal…"

He took a step back. "Criminal? Oh no, my good sir, you must have me confused with someone else! Criminal I am not…"

"No, you seem very, _very_ familiar…Like…Like that wanted thief, Santino!! It is you!!!" He rushed forward to grab Santino, but he jumped back, then slammed the soldier into the wall.

"Santino, stop!!" Link yelled.

"What is going on out here?!"

The men turned around, stunned by the sight of Princess Zelda.

"Your majesty, these criminals are here to harm you!" the soldier shouted, trying to push Santino off.

"Criminals?" Zelda looked at Link, then to Santino. "…These are not criminals, these are my guests."

Santino dropped the soldier to the floor and moved to Link's side. "Told you."

"This is Link of Ordon and…um…" She raised her brow at Santino.

"My attendant," Link quickly put in.

"Link of Ordon and his attendant! Please stand down."

"But your Majesty, the one in the cloak is Santino, a wanted thief!"

"Thief?" She moved closer to Santino, trying to examine his face. His visible eye was pleading as he shook his head. "He looks nothing like the thief Santino, don't be stupid." She motioned for the young men to enter.

"But…But his name is Santino!"

"Santino is a common name."

"But…I've never heard anyone with that name before…"

Zelda whipped around. "If you continue to question my judgment, I shall have you stripped of your ranks and thrown on city patrol," she hissed.

"Urk, sorry your Highness, it won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." She walked into the room and shut the door behind her.

"Princess Zelda?" Link whispered.

Zelda let out a heavy sigh. "That was close, wasn't it?" She smiled.

Link nodded. "Very close."

She glanced at Santino. "I'm sorry about that, Link and…Mr. Thief."

Santino took a step back. "You…know?"

She giggled. "You're an infamous criminal, Santino. Of course I know you. Besides, I saw you once in my palace, stealing…"

He blushed. "Oh…"

"I'll let you off this time, but you have to promise me that you'll change your ways," Zelda said in a motherly tone. He nodded, his head hung.

Link smirked. "Well, your Highness, we managed to obtain four of the shards, but we need your help with the other four."

"Oh? Well, why don't we sit and talk all about it." She sat on her bed while Link and Santino sat in chairs by the fireplace.

Zelda crossed her legs. "Now what exactly do you mean by shards?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't know what happened…" Link looked down at his hands. "There was…an incident. Symphony and I ran into some trouble and the Mystic Mirror…was shattered."

"Shattered? Hmm…" She softened her gaze. "It was your other half, wasn't it?"

Link nodded somberly. "Yes…"

She exhaled. "So now you've been collecting the shards."

"Symphony said that when she used a shard to locate the others, she saw an ocean," Santino put in.

"Symphony…She was the young Sheikah woman, right?" Zelda's eyes rested on Santino. "You're related to her, aren't you?" He looked away. "I see…"

"Princess Zelda, we are in need of your insight," Link said, breaking the silence.

"Please, just Zelda, Link. There's no need for formalities among friends." She smiled.

Link suddenly thought of Symphony and what she had said about formalities. "Right."

"May I have one of the shards?" Link nodded and handed her a small pouch. "Let us see where the others are." She reached into the bag and pulled out a shard. "Show me…"

Link and Santino sat silently, watching Zelda. Her eyes were closed, but she still wore a smile on her face. Minutes passed before she opened her eyes again.

"Well, the other shards lie in another land, across the ocean," Zelda answered.

"Another land?" Link said, his eyes lighting up.

"Yes."

"How do we reach the ocean?" Santino asked.

Her smiled suddenly faded. "…Through the desert."

"I've been in the desert but I didn't see any ocean," Link said.

"No, you must travel deeper into the desert, through the land of the Gerudo."

"G-Gerudo?" Santino repeated, his voice cracking. He looked down at his golden gauntlets. "Isn't there another way?!" She shook her head.

"What's wrong? Who are the Gerudo?" Link asked.

"They are an ancient, desert-dwelling people. The great King of Evil came from them…"

"And they're all female," Santino added. "A king is born every one hundred years. They're extremely tough, you see. They're all warriors and thieves. Don't take them lightly."

Link looked at Zelda for reassurance, and she nodded. "Hmm, sounds challenging…" He stood up. "But I'll do it! Hyrule is in trouble."

Santino jumped up. "Are you crazy?! We're talking about the Gerudo here!!"

"It needs to be done. Besides, I can handle myself." Link smirked.

"You are brave, truly a gift from the gods," Zelda said as she got to her feet as well. "Link of Ordon, the Hero of Legend, Hyrule needs your help, your courage." She approached him and took his hands. "Please, save Hyrule. There have been more accounts of people being attacked by monsters when the sun sets. The darkness is dangerous."

"I know." Link smiled. "I'll bring the shards back and save Hyrule."

"Thank you." She released him. "Be safe, all of you." She turned to Santino. "Thank you for aiding Link, you and Symphony."

Santino nodded. "No problem…"

**XXXX**

"Symphony, Telma!!" Santino threw open the door to Telma's bar and strolled in. "You guys here?"

Symphony was sitting at the counter. "Oh boy…" She looked over at Link and Santino. "Can you_ be_ any louder?"

Telma chuckled. "Hey boys, how've you been?"

"Peachy," Santino said as he plopped down next to Symphony. "We spoke to Zelda." He put his arm around his cousin.

"And what did she say?" Symphony asked as she pushed Santino's arm off.

"The other four shards are in another land across the ocean. We have to go through the land of the Gerudo to get to the ocean," Link answered.

"Gerudo? Hmm…?" Symphony shook her head. "Well, it doesn't matter, we'll be fine, right Link?"

"Right!"

Telma smiled. "You kids really are something…"


	18. Chapter 17: Land of the Gerudo

**Chapter 17: Land of the Gerudo**

"That doesn't sound safe…" Symphony said as she adjusted her messenger bag.

"Trust me, it's the only way to get to the desert," Link said. "It's safe, we'll be fine."

The three companions approached the Fyer cannon house.

"Symphony, you never told us what you wanted to see Telma about," Santino said.

She bit her lower lip. "Oh, um, I needed to get a book from her…"

"A book? For what?"

"Mind your own business, will you?" she hissed.

"Look at that, it's Link," the strange looking clown said. "Hey."

"One Oasis Special please," Link said with a grin.

"Alright, this way." He opened the door to the little house.

"C'mon guys." Link motioned to the house.

"The land of the Gerudo, huh?" Santino whispered. "I stole something valuable from there once…"

"Hurry up Santino!" Symphony yelled as she stood in front of the door. "We don't have all day."

"This hero thing isn't really my style…"

"Santino!"

"Please go inside," Fyer said as he began to push Symphony in.

"No, wait, we can't leave Santino!"

"I don't want to go back," Santino said. "I didn't sign up to save the world. No good will come of me returning to the Gerudo Fortress."

"Santino, what're you say?!"

"I don't wanna die! This isn't in _my_ best interest!!"

"Santino!?"

"Sorry, but you're on your own, kiddo." And he vanished.

"Santino!!"

"Get inside." Fyer shoved Symphony in and shut the door. He began to turn his music player and the cannon emerged from the top of the house. "Blast off." The cannon fired, sending a screaming Symphony and Link flying.

**XXXX**

"That son of a bitch!!" Symphony screamed as she emptied sand from her boot. "How dare he abandon us like that!!"

"Symphony, please calm down," Link said as he shook sand out of his hair.

"Aren't you pissed off at him?!"

"There's nothing we can do about it. We just have to keep going."

She sighed. "Link…" She sat down on a rock, her shoulders slumped. _How can he be so…relaxed? Santino just left us. Santino…_ She glared. _How…How could you?_

Link touched her right shoulder. "We can't stay here, the desert is…unpleasant when night falls."

Symphony nodded and got to her feet. "Then let's go."

And they set off, the blazing sun beating down on them. It was not long before they began to sweat, exhaustion quickly taking hold.

Symphony bent over, the palms of her hands resting on her knees. "Link, I can't do this. It's just too damn hot."

Link turned around and licked his lips. "I know this seems hard now, but we just have to press on." His mouth was dry.

"Easy for you to say, Hero." She united her sash and slipped off her robe-like top. "I'm not used to such scorching temperatures." She wrapped her top around her head to shield her eyes.

"Your torso is exposed now, you'll get sun burnt."

Symphony continued on by Link. "I'll take that over going blind from this sun. Besides, my chest is covered."

He shrugged and followed her, quickly taking the lead.

They kept walking, the hope of finding water or shade driving them. Before long, the sun began to set, and cool breeze starting to pick up. Now Symphony began to complain of the chill that took over her, forcing her to slip her top back on. The trek was long and tiring, and everywhere they looked there was nothing but sand.

"How do we know if this is the right way?" Symphony asked, her tone slipping into a whine.

"We don't. We could very well be walking to our death," Link answered truthfully.

"So we're traveling blind? Great." She dropped to her knees.

Link sighed heavily, agitation taking hold as he turned to his companion. "What are you doing?"

She threw up her hands, completely ignoring Link. "Oh gods, creators of the universe, give us the strength we need to carry on and guide us through his forsaken desert safely."

"Symphony…" He rolled his eyes.

"Now is the time for belief, dear Link! The gods are the only ones who can get us through here safely." She stood up and approached him. "You must belief," she repeated as she took his arm.

"Oh boy, I never imagined you as the religious type. I think this whole desert is going to your head."

"Non-believer." Symphony pushed away from him and started up a dune. "Watch, I'll show you that the gods are in fact looking out for us." And she raced up the dune with Link trailing behind her. "I bet there's a paradise waiting for us over this mound of sand!"

"Slow down Symphony or you'll hurt yourself," Link shouted cautiously. "We don't know what's over this-" He crashed into Symphony when she suddenly stopped, sending her rolling down the mound. "Gah! Symphony!"

"Kyah!!" But she remained unscathed as she came to a stop gently at the bottom of the mound.

Link caught up to her and knelt down, irritated. "Why did you stop like that?"

"L-Look!" she cried as she pointed. Not to far from them was a beautiful oasis, as if sent by the gods.

"I-I don't believe it…" Link murmured.

"I…I told you!" Symphony sang as she leapt to her feet. "There's hope after all!"

She dashed ahead, calling for Link to follow her. They ran towards the little piece of paradise, both hungry for water and rest.

"Beautiful, beautiful water!" Symphony giggled as she let herself fall right into the cool blue water.

"I never thought we'd run into an oasis like this. I guess this really is a gift from the gods." Link sat down by the water's edge and began to remove his boots. "We were really saved." He slipped his feet into the water and let out a relieved sigh.

Symphony dipped her hair into the water. "So I assume that we're going to set up camp here tonight, right?"

Link nodded. _Hmm, I wonder though…_ He looked up at the stars. _Princess Zelda said that we have to pass through the land of the Gerudo, meaning their fortress. Santino said that they're tough warriors…with an oasis like this out here, you would think people of the desert would come here as well…_ He began to unbuckle his equipment. _Better be on guard._

"What's the matter Link?"

Link looked up from his brooding. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of Symphony. The way the moon light was reflected on the water and the way it lit up her eyes made it seem like they were glowing red. Her wet hair clung to her pale face, making her seem so…helpless and innocent.

She swam up to the shore and sat by his feet, never coming out of the water. "You look like you're thinking hard about something. What's wrong, Hero? It's not like you to look so gloomy."

"Oh, it's nothing. I'm just thinking about the Gerudo."

"The Gerudo…" She glared. "Santino mentioned that he had stolen something from them…and that if he came he would die…That coward."

"Makes you wonder what they're like, huh?"

She hesitated, then nodded. She perked up when Link's hand came close to her face. "Huh?"

"You're going to get sick if you stay in that water. It gets cold out here."

Symphony nodded once more. "Right, right."

She rose out of the water, her clothing clinging to her body, making her figure seem fuller. It wasn't until that moment that Link thought of her as a woman. She had always been so hard and crude, never really showing much femininity. And she looked a bit like a young boy at times, especially when she was boorish.

Link lowered his gaze. "Symphony…I can…protect you, you know."

She looked at him, her expression a bit surprised. "Oh…well…" She whipped away from him, her arms crossed. "It's not like I _need_ your protection or anything, you know. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I'm not some…damsel in distress."

He chuckled. "You're right, I'm sorry. I only had to save you…three times now? Or was it four? That does not make you a damsel in distress whatsoever."

"What?!" She spun around. "How dare you!"

His chuckle came out louder. "I'm sorry, I was only teasing you. But you're right; you're a magic user, so you can handle yourself."

That word struck a delicate chord, causing her to flinch. _Oh, that's right, I haven't told him…I only told Telma what happened…_

"Anyway," Link sighed out. "Let's get a fire started."

**XXXX**

Link sat quietly as he watched Symphony. The shadows from the flames of the fire danced across her face, making her seem as if she wasn't breathing. She stirred briefly, only to turn over.

_Something is not right._ Link looked away from Symphony, his eyes locking on Symphony's bag. _What did she have to see Telma about? And then there's the issue of that book…_ He stood up, his hands balled into fists, and walked over to the bag in question. Symphony was his companion, his teammate, and she didn't have to keep secrets from him…at least that's what he thought.

Link took the bag carefully in his hands and pushed the top flap up. Inside were tubes of powder, all different colors. There was a jar of salve, and three rolls of bandages. Those things didn't seem too odd, since Symphony was a medicine woman, but there was still the issue of the book. He reached in slid it out carefully, not wanting to make too much noise. Flipping through its pages, he didn't notice anything suspicious about the book.

_Why didn't she want to tell Santino about this? It's just a book about medicines and illnesses…_

As he flipped another page, and envelope fell out.

"What's this?" It was blank, not addressed to anyone.

So Link opened it and removed the folded paper.

"Huh?"

_Symphony,_

_If you're reading this then that means that you must have needed the book. I slipped this letter into the book before I gave it to you. I cannot understand why you want to keep this problem a secret from the boys. I know you like to keep things to yourself, but if you don't tell them what happened, then one of them could end up dying. Please think about this and consider telling them._

_As for this issue, I might know of a way to solve it. You said that you need ether to recreate the Mystic Mirror, correct? Well, as you know, all of the ether faded away from this land many years ago. But, I heard once before from Shad of a legend that tells of a Seer living in a tower in the sky. He said that this Seer has an endless source of ether and can forge magical items and weapons. The Seer also knows of a technique to harness the power of ether within a magic user. I'm sure if you look into this legend and somehow find the Seer, the Seer can help you regain your magic powers._

_With Love,_

_Telma_

"What? 'The Seer can help you regain your magic powers?' What does that mean?" Link looked up from the letter. "Has Symphony…?"

"What're you doing?"

Link shot around and his gaze met Symphony's. She was holding herself up, the look of sleep leaving her face.

"S-Symphony…"

She noticed the letter, then the book. "Link…Link!" She lunged forward and snatched the book, and the bag, from him. "Link, how could you?!"

"How could I? How could _you_?!" He stood up, the letter grasped firmly in his hand. "When exactly were you planning on telling me about your powers, hmm?! You've lost them, haven't you?"

She gasped, then eyed the letter in his hand. "Give me that!" She reached for it, but Link pulled it away. "What's wrong with me is none of your damn business!"

"It _is_ my business!" Link sighed. "Symphony, we're partners. How is this going to work if you can't tell me something like this? You're suffering, and I didn't even know. Don't you trust me?"

"I…It's not…I mean…" She looked away, her head hung. "You don't understand what I've been through…I haven't been helpful at all to you…not one bit. I always end up…making things more complicated. And then this happens…I'm just dead weight."

"That's not true. If it wasn't for your healing abilities, I'm sure things would have been a lot more difficult. You've saved me just as much as I've saved you."

"But Link, magic was my strong suit, my ace in the hole. I'm not…exactly the strongest person…"

"And that's the beauty of teamwork. We can help each other along the way, our strengths…and weaknesses complementing each other."

Link dropped the letter and put his hands on Symphony's shoulders.

"We're partners…friends." He was trying his best to get a smile out of her.

"…Oh…Okay." She looked away, an embarrassing feeling of defeat washing over her.

The sudden sight of dust covering the moon startled Link, but only briefly. Thinking quickly, he shoved Symphony to the ground and lunged for his sword and shield. They were draw instantly, his shield deflecting a barrage of arrows. Shouts echoed through the cold night air as the hoof beats of horses shook the ground.

"Symphony, get back!!" Link yelled.

Symphony dove behind a rock, her eyes scanning the perimeter. "Link!"

"Don't worry! We'll be fine!"

More arrows came at him, but Link simply blocked them again. He took a step back when he saw three women running at him. They swung at him with scimitars, but he dodged the attacks. He rolled to the side and kicked the back of one of the women. She flew forward and landed head first in the sand. The two remaining women lunged at him again and he used his shield to knock their attacks back. One of the women dropped down and delivered a sweep kick, knocking Link down. She drove her sword down, but Link rolled out of the way just in time. He jumped to his feet and slammed his shield against her, sending her flying.

Link stood still as the third woman stared him down. He clutched his sword tighter. "What do you want?"

The woman held up her scimitar. "Submit or perish."

"I will not give in without a fight. Now if you do not explain why you're attacking me, then we have no choice but to fight."

"I wouldn't be too hasty, boy."

Link whipped around to see Symphony fall to the ground. Three more women emerged from the shadows, one of them stepping on Symphony's back. "Symphony!"

"If you value her life, then you will submit."

Symphony felt like crying. _Link I…I'm sorry._

Link looked to Symphony, then to the women. He growled but dropped his sword to the ground.

"Wise decision."

**XXXX**

Link was shoved to his knees onto a hard surface. He was a little anxious when the attackers had thrown cloth over his head and dragged him off. It was not his own safety that he was worried about, but Symphony's. After discovering about the loss of her abilities, he knew that she would be in more danger than before.

His world suddenly lit up when the cloth over his face was ripped away. He winced, adjusting to the light. The room was extravagant, gold covering everything. Red satin drapes and weapons hung from the walls and jewels were overflowing from chests in one of the corners of the room. A chocolate-skinned man sat in an oversized throne as an enchanting woman of the same complexion lay at his feet. Their golden eyes were piercing and their fiery red hair was distracting. Orange jewels adorned their foreheads.

Link looked around receiving angry stares from other red-haired, chocolate-skinned women in the room. A groan coming from his left captured his attention. He looked over and gasped. "Symphony!"

Symphony turned her head. "Link? Where are we?"

Scimitars were pressed against their necks. "Silence!"

The man in the throne flipped his hair out of his face, his eyes annoyed. "Why have you brought these vermin before me?"

The woman who had captured Symphony stepped forward. "We found them at the Oasis and we're positive that they are Hylians."

The urge to burst out into a fit of rage tempted Symphony, but she knew better if she wanted to keep her head.

"Your ignorance annoys me," the woman laying down said.

"What seems to be the problem?" The man looked down at the woman at his feet.

The beautiful woman stood up, her long hair swaying with her movement. She leaned forward and whispered in the man's ear. Her plump, golden lips were very seductive, and Link couldn't help but notice that she wore enough clothing to cover her chest and her crotch area.

The man sat forward in his throne, his eyes wide. "I believe you." He got to his feet and held out his hand. "Release the girl and let her come to me."

The red-haired woman removed the swords from Symphony's neck and let her stand. She looked to Link for help.

"Come here, girl. Do not be afraid." The man smirked.

"…Okay." Symphony took a deep breath and walked forward, stopping just before the man and woman.

"You hand, if you please." He stretched his hand out further. She complied and gently placed her hand in his. Something almost electric passed between them, causing Symphony to pull her hand back. "It is as you say." He looked to the woman at his side.

"But the man is a Hylian." She gracefully sat on the plush pillows next to the golden throne, her eyes resting on Link.

"Please, sit," the man said as he motioned to Symphony. She sat on the opposite side of the throne, chewing on her bottom lip. The man also took his seat.

"Your majesty, why have you spared at girl?" one of the women asked.

"You fools, can't you see that she is a Sheikah?! How dare you treat her like a dog!" the man roared. He suddenly began to cough.

"Please, remain calm," the long-haired woman whispered.

"I'm sorry." The man cleared his throat and looked at Link. "I am Kai, King of the Gerudo." He rested his hand on the head of the woman next to him. "And this is Kalana, the High Priestess."

"What is a Hylian like you doing in our territory?" Kalana asked, her eyes still on Link.

Link didn't break Kalana's gaze. "We need to get to the ocean and the only way to get there is to pass through your territory. We mean no harm."

"Why are you traveling with this Sheikan girl?" Kai asked.

"How can you tell that I'm a Sheikah?" Symphony asked in a hushed voice.

"Quiet," Kai responded. "Answer my question, Hylian."

"We're companions. Please, we're not here to cause trouble, we just want to get to the ocean."

Kai howled with laughter. "What a blatant lie! Your motives cannot be that simple. Something is up and I will figure it out." He stood up, his face angry once again. "Throw him in prison and set his execution date for three days from now. That should give him plenty of time to tell us his plans."

Two women grabbed Link but he tried to fight back. "I'm not lying!!"

"No!! Please stop!" Symphony cried. She ran forward, but was suddenly pulled back by Kai's strong hand.

"You must be under some sort of sway by this Hylian, girl. I have my own questions I wish to ask you in private." He glared at her.

"No! You don't understand who Link is! Let me go!" She struggled, but his grip was solid.

"Let her go!" Link shouted. He elbowed his two captors in the face and rushed forward, his fist pulled back.

Kai turned to Link, but remained calm. A flash of red caught Link's eye, but as he blinked, a massive impact stopped him. His jaw dropped open, pain surging throughout every fiber of his being. Before him stood Kalana, her fist rammed into his gut. She swiftly took a step back and did a somersault, her feet connecting with Link's chin. As his word began to fade, Link called out for Symphony before falling to the floor, unconscious.

"Link! Link!!" Symphony struggled in Kai's grasp as he held her wrists. She watched as her companion was carried away.

"As brutal as ever, dear Kalana," Kai murmured. He rolled his eyes, then pulled Symphony. "Let us retire to my quarters."

"Yes," Kalana said, taking the lead.


	19. Chapter 18: Death Fang

**Chapter 18: Death Fang**

Symphony sat with hands clasped firmly in her lap, her expression hard. She looked from Kalana, then to Kai angrily. _I have to figure out some way to save Link. Perhaps I can persuade them…_

She shifted in the plush chair. "What is it, exactly, that you want from me?"

Kai closed his eyes and leaned forward. "We merely want to protect you."

She glared. "_Protect_ me?! Why would I need _your_ protection?!"

Kalana sighed. "We know about the turmoil your people have been through…"

That struck a delicate chord in Symphony. "H-How do you…?"

"We Gerudo have an old alliance with the Sheikah." Kalana put her hand over her heart. "We are very much alike…the Gerudo and the Sheikah, I mean."

"I…I don't understand!" Symphony looked to Kai, a pleading look in her eyes. "Please, tell me…"

Kai stood up and moved to the window, the blue night sky glowing with stars. "…We all have a common enemy, you know…It's the Hylians."

Her shoulders dropped. "I…I don't see them as…much of an enemy as I used to."

He spun around. "But you must! I mean, after what they did to your people, how could you _not_ see them as the enemy?"

Symphony smiled. "They're not all the same…That's one thing that I've learned from traveling with Link. Evil exists within all races, not just within one. Just because one Hylian wronged you doesn't mean that they all will…Link taught me that…" Her gaze fell.

"…You say his name with such tenderness…" Kalana eyed Symphony.

"He's…my friend."

"Absurd!" Kai's hands balled into fists. "I can't believe that you, a Sheikah, are friends with a Hylian."

"But this one isn't bad!" Symphony cried.

"Nonsense! You want to know why I despise them so?" Kai watched her.

"…Yes." Symphony nodded.

He turned back to the window, eyes cold. "…My people are a desert dwelling people and we are proud warriors. As you can see, the Gerudo are made up almost entirely of women. However, one man is born every one hundred years and he becomes king. The last King of the Gerudo was a vile man by the name of Ganondorf. You know the history of Hyrule, I'm sure, so I won't go into details. Well, twenty-six years ago, another male was born…me."

Symphony immediately knew where this was going. _Oh my…_

"And when I was born, we Gerudo were informed that we had to move further into the desert. This 'law' was decreed by the Hylian Royal Council. They saw me as a threat even though they knew that I was the descendant of Nabooru, one of the Seven Sages of legend! It is difficult to live out here, away from society. But this doesn't concern them, not at all. All they care about is their own welfare."

"I…am sorry that this came to pass," Symphony whispered.

"Do not apologize for something you did not commit," Kalana said. "Fifteen years after our exile, the incident with the Sheikah took place."

"See, this is what I don't understand. How do you know of this?"

"Because the Sheikah came here to seek refuge," Kai answered.

Symphony's heart almost stopped. So there were indeed survivors of her clan! And they had been close this whole time. "Th-They came here?" A lump was forming in her throat.

Kalana nodded. "Yes."

Her eyes glistened with tears. "So…I'm not alone…"

Kai walked over to Symphony and knelt in front of her. "Don't get too excited, Symphony."

"Why?" A sense of anxiety suddenly overcame her.

"They've long since moved from this land."

Her heart fell. "…I had a feeling that this was too good to be true…" She tried to hold the tears back, but they fell anyway.

And Kai embraced her. "Don't fret, all is not lost."

"There is one Sheikah that resides within our land," Kalana continued. "She helped Kai and I unlock our powers."

"Huh?" Her anxiety began to subside…

"What do you mean by 'powers'?"

"As I stated, I am a descendant of Nabooru," Kai reminded. "As is Kalana."

Symphony's eyes widened. "Kalana too?! But…But how could you two be _together_ if you both have the same ancestor?!"

Kalana glared and Kai took a step back. "T-Together? What do you mean by that?" he asked.

"W-Well, aren't you two…you know…married…or something?" She blushed.

Kai coughed into his fist, his cheeks turning slightly red. "Kalana is my little sister."

"WHAT?! But it looked like you two were…" Symphony looked over at Kalana who was glaring daggers at her. _Oh my indeed…_ "I-I'm so sorry. Please, forget that I said anything."

Kai cleared his throat. "Right…As I was saying…Those who are brood of the Seven Sages are capable of using magic."

"Have you not wondered why we are the only ones with crystals upon our brow?" Kalana asked. "The Sheikah implanted these to draw out our magical powers."

"I see…" Symphony tilted her head. "What is her name?"

"Yoko, I believe," Kai answered thoughtfully.

Symphony held in a gasp. _Y-Yoko? That was the name of Santino's grandmother! So…she's been alive this whole time… _"C-Can you take me to her?! I have to see her!"

Kai yawned. "Symphony, it is late. You should get some rest."

She stood up. "I can't! Th…There's so many things going on! Yoko…and Link! Link, you have to free him! Please!"

Kai glared. "I have already passed judgment; I cannot go back on my word."

"But…" She had to think of something, but what? How could she possibly get them to free Link? There was no way she could fight them, they were way stronger than her. _Oh if only I could still use magic I bet I could take care of them!_

Kai turned to Kalana. "If Symphony wishes to talk more…bring her some…tea."

"Yes." Kalana rose, gracefully, and walked over to a small cabinet.

"I don't want any tea. Please, isn't there any way that you can free him? He hasn't even committed a crime, has he?" Symphony began to fidget. _What can I do?_

Kai rubbed his temples. "Please stop, your whining is giving me a headache."

"Here." Kalana placed a warm cup of tea in Symphony's hands.

She eyed the dark green liquid skeptically. _What if this is poison?_

"It's good," Kalana said reassuringly, as if reading her mind. "It'll help you relax…"

She sighed, then gulped down the tea. "Thank you…!" Symphony's body suddenly became numb as she collapsed to the floor, her vision failing. "P-Po-Poi…" She couldn't even form the words.

"Not poison," Kalana informed. "It's an anesthetic made from the roots of the desert flower, Red Sand."

As Symphony's world went black, she could barely hear a fit of coughs that sounded incredibly painful. It sounded like…a man coughing. _Is…Is Kai sick? _

_Darkness_.

**XXXX**

Symphony shot up in her bed, her eyes wide. "They drugged me!" She jumped out of the bed and rushed out of the room.

There were Gerudo traveling the halls of the palace, but that didn't stop Symphony. As she ran, she pushed several of them out of her way, receiving questioning looks or threats. When she reached Kai's bedroom, she skidded to a halt. There were two women guarding the door, one with short hair and one with long hair.

"Excuse me, but I have to get through!" Symphony was expecting them to move aside, but they merely looked at each other.

"Why don't you get lost?" the woman with short hair spat out.

"Sheikah or not you were still trespassing in our land," the woman with the longer hair said.

"I'm a guest!" Symphony cried. "Now let me through!"

The long haired woman flicked Symphony in the forehead. "Be gone, child."

Symphony glared. "Wh…How dare you!"

"Get out of here." The short haired woman shoved Symphony to the floor. "You'll only cause more problems."

"And what's that supposed to mean?!" Symphony glared. _I might have to fight them to get through…but am I really strong enough to beat them on my own?_

"Rina, Tamara, stand down."

Symphony turned around to see Kalana coming up the stairs. "Oh! Lady Kalana!"

Kalana glowered at the three. "You're all causing such a ruckus. And you, Symphony, should refrain from running about the palace." She carried glass jars filled with liquids and powder.

Symphony studied the jars. _Oh…those look familiar…_ "Kalana…is someone sick?"

Her face remained expressionless. "…Yes."

"Is…Is Kai sick?"

"Yes."

Symphony looked down. "Um…I'm a doctor…you know."

A moment of silence passed.

"Help her up," Kalana commanded to the two women.

The women quickly rushed to Symphony's side and pulled her to her feet.

"Move." Kalana pushed the women out of her way and went into the room, Symphony following her.

Kai lay in his bed, a damp towel on his forehead. His breathing was labored and beads of sweat rolled down his face. A young woman sitting next to Kai's bed jumped up.

"Lady Kalana, you're back!" She had a frantic look in her eyes. "He's getting worse."

Kalana set the jars down. "Seth, calm down."

"But his Majesty is dying!" Her eyes were moist with tears.

Symphony's eyes darted to Kai. "Oh no…" She walked over and felt his face. _That girl is right. At this rate, Kai's not gonna make it._

"Why is that girl touching his Majesty?!" Seth cried.

"She's a doctor," Kalana answered.

"Ooooh." Kai moaned in pain.

"Let me see those jars." Symphony rushed over and began to remove the tops of the jars. _If things continue like this, I won't be able to ask Kai to free Link. If he dies, what will I do?_ She started to mix three jars together.

"Okay, this should ease his pain for right now." Symphony moved back over to Kai's bed and helped him to sit up. She pressed the jar to his lips and tilted it, allowing the liquid to flow.

When the jar was empty, she took a step back. The three women watched Kai, waiting. Another moan came from Kai as he sat up.

"Your Majesty!" Seth ran over to support him.

Kai looked around weakly. "Seth…Kalana…Symphony too?"

"You're sick, Kai," Symphony said. "But I might know how to help you."

Seth glared at her. "_Might_?! Just do it!"

Symphony glared right back. "Only on one condition."

"And what is that?" Kai asked.

"Free Link and I'll go get you some medicine."

"Impossible."

Symphony turned her back. "Fine, then I can't help you."

"You can't do that!" Seth shouted.

Kai helped up his hand to quiet her. "How about this: I'll let the Hylian go _after_ you heal me."

"And how can I be sure that you'll keep your word?"

"I never go back on my word."

Symphony turned back to him, studying. Their eyes were locked, both trying to figure something out. _Hmm…he's…telling the truth._

"Okay. But remember that you promised." She turned to Kalana. "Where is my messenger bag? I had a book of medical things."

Kalana opened a chest by Kai's bed. "Here."

Symphony took the bag and removed the book. She looked at Kai, studying his symptoms. "Okay, let's see." She flipped the book open.

Seth sat on Kai's bed, watching Symphony anxiously. Kalana stared out of the window her face blank as usual. It seemed like an eternity before Symphony jumped up.

"I think I have it." She looked to Kalana. "Has Kai ever been bitten by a spider? Like, a really big spider?"

"Once, when we were kids."

Symphony turned the book to Kalana, showing her a picture. "Was this it?"

Kalana studied the illustration. "…Yes, I believe so."

"Then I know what he has. He was bitten by a Death Fang."

Seth raised her brows. "How can a spider bite from almost twenty some years ago do this to him _now_?"

"The spider releases a very potent neurotoxin that takes years to completely saturate the body. Gradually the victim becomes sick, getting fevers often and suffering from chronic bronchitis." Symphony flipped through some of the pages. "It doesn't say how many years it takes for it to kill, but I think Kai has run out of time." She glanced at the Gerudo King. He was breathing heavily again, his face twisted in pain.

"There is a cure right?" Seth asked, her voice shaking.

"Yes, but the key ingredient to the anti-venom is the venom itself…"

Kalana looked at the floor. "Death Fangs reside in the Arbiter's Grounds."

"What?!" Seth flew from the bed and threw herself at Kalana's feet. "Lady Kalana, please, we have to go there immediately! We have to save his Majesty!!"

Kalana pushed Seth off. "Compose yourself! No Gerudo should show such weakness."

She lowered her head. "Forgive me."

Kalana turned to Symphony. "You will accompany me to the Arbiter's Grounds." She looked down at Seth. "Take her to her things then continue tending to his Majesty."

"Yes my Lady." Seth got to her feet and led Symphony out.

Kalana looked at her brother. "…Hold on brother…please don't…don't leave me…" She kissed his forehead then left the room.

"…Ka…Kalana…" Kai breathed out.


End file.
